State recreational water quality officials today lifted a water quality swimming advisory for a sound-side swimming area in Dare County.
The advisory was lifted because water testing shows that bacteria levels have dropped and are within standards set for swimming and water play by the state and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The advisory was posted at the Jockey’s Ridge sound-side access in Nags Head on April 28. Test results showed the site had exceeded 104 enterococci per 100 milliliters of water, the standard for high-usage sites. The site now shows bacteria levels below the state and federal recreational water quality standards.
The sign advising against swimming, skiing or otherwise coming into contact with the water has been removed.
Enterococci, the name for the group of bacteria used for testing, are found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals. While the bacteria group’s presence does not cause illness itself, scientific studies indicate that the presence of enterococci is closely correlated to the presence of other organisms that may cause illness. People swimming or playing in waters with bacteria levels higher than the standards have an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal illness.
Coastal recreational waters in North Carolina are generally clean. However, it is important to continue monitoring them so the public can be informed of any localized problems. The N.C. Recreational Water Quality Program samples 204 sites in coastal waters of the state, most of them on a weekly basis from April through October.
For more information about the program, visit its website at: http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/recreational-water-quality or on Twitter @ncrecprgm.