State officials today lifted a precautionary advisory against swimming for all ocean and sound-side waters in Brunswick County that were affected by Hurricane Isaias.
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ Recreational Water Quality Program has tested most of the established ocean and sound-side swimming sites from Sunset Beach to Bald Head Island and found that bacteria levels meet the state and Environmental Protection Agency standards for swimming and other contact with the water.
The precautionary advisory was issued Aug. 4 after Hurricane Isaias made landfall in Brunswick County causing extreme storm surge and flooding beach in Brunswick County communities. Floodwaters and storm water runoff can contain pollutants such as waste from septic systems, sewer line breaks, pet waste, wildlife, petroleum products, and other chemicals that can make people sick.
Recreational water quality officials sample 210 sites throughout the coastal region, most of them on a weekly basis from April to October. Testing continues on a reduced schedule during the rest of the year, when waters are colder.
For more information on the N.C. Recreational Water Quality Program, visit the program’s website , view a map of the testing sites, and follow the program’s Twitter feed.