MDEQ Issues One Water Contact Advisory Two Advisories Lifted

MDEQ Issues One Water Contact Advisory Two Advisories Lifted

(JACKSON, Miss.) — The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), through its Beach Monitoring Program, issued a water contact advisory Friday for one sampling station in Gulfport. This segment of beach is not closed; however, there may be an increased risk of illness associated with swimming in this area.

MDEQ is working closely with local officials to advise residents that the water in the following location may have high bacteria levels:

►Station 9 – Gulfport Harbor Beach – from 20th Avenue to Thornton Avenue.

Advisories were lifted Friday for the following stations:

►Station 10 – Gulfport Central Beach – from Alfonso Drive east to Arkansas Avenue.
►Station 10B – East Courthouse Road Beach – from Courthouse Road east to Tegarden Road.

Advisories are still in effect for:

►Station 2 – Hancock County — Buccaneer State Park Beach – 100 yards from the sign to State Park Road.
►Station 5 – Harrison County — Pass Christian West Beach – from Fort Henry to Elliott Avenue.
►Station 12B – Biloxi East Central Beach – from St. Peter Street east to Dukate Street.

A beach closure was issued May 7 for the following location:

►Station 12A – Biloxi West Central Beach – from Travia Avenue east to Iberville Drive.

When water samples show that levels are safe for human contact, the advisories and closure will be lifted. The Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, which performs water sampling of the Mississippi Gulf Coast beaches for MDEQ, notifies the agency when an area has returned to acceptable levels.

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 on the Mississippi Beach Monitoring Program and the current status of the beach monitoring stations can be found at: http://www.usm.edu/gcrl/msbeach/index.cgi.

To receive beach advisories directly, send an email to rwilbur@deq.state.ms.us for inclusion in a public group email list, text “MDEQbeach” to 95577, or follow MDEQ on Twitter: @MDEQ.

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