(JACKSON, Miss.) – The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), through its Beach Monitoring Program, issued one beach water contact advisory Saturday for station 6 (Pass Christian Central Beach). This segment of beach is not closed; however, there may be an increased risk of illness associated with swimming in these areas. When water samples show that levels are safe for human contact, the advisory will be lifted. Two other advisories remain in effect.
An advisory is issued when bacteria levels exceed water quality criteria and therefore poses an increased risk to human health. Under the Mississippi Beach Monitoring Program, water is tested for the presence of Enterococcus bacteria, which is an indicator for bacteria pollution. When an advisory is issued, water contact should be avoided.
Please check with local officials regarding the status of beaches due to Tropical Storm Cristobal debris clean-up.
An advisory is issued for:
- Station 6 — Pass Christian Central Beach — the extent is from Henderson Ave. east to Hiern Ave.
An advisory remains in effect for:
- Station 8 — Gulfport West Beach — the extent is from Maria Ave. east to Camp Ave.
- Station 11 — Gulfport East Beach — the extent is from Tegarden Rd. east to Anniston Ave.
These segments of beach are not closed; however, there may be an increased risk of illness associated with swimming in these areas. When water samples show that levels are safe for human contact, the advisories will be lifted.
Swimmers are reminded that the Beach Task Force has a standing recommendation that swimming not occur during or within 24 hours of a significant rainfall event.
More information about the Mississippi Beach Monitoring Program and the location of beach sampling stations is available at: http://opcgis.deq.state.ms.us/beaches. To receive beach advisories directly, send an email to Robbie Wilbur for inclusion in a public group email list, text “MDEQbeach” to 95577, and follow MDEQ on Twitter: @MDEQ.
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