State recreational water quality officials today lifted a precautionary swimming advisory in Oak Island. The advisory was lifted because floodwaters have rescinded, and pumping has ceased.
The precautionary advisory was posted July 8 at the oceanfront area near Crowell Street in Oak Island. At the time, floodwaters from Tropical Storm Elsa were being pumped from flooded streets onto the beach to ensure roads were accessible for emergency vehicles. Floodwaters contain pollutants such as waste from wildlife and pets, oil and gasoline from parking lots and waste from septic systems or sewers.
The N.C. Recreational Water Quality Program samples 213 sites in coastal waters of the state, most of them on a weekly basis from April through October.
For more information on the N.C. Recreational Water Quality Program or to a view a map of testing sites, visit the program’s website, and follow the program’s Twitter feed.