MDEQ Issues Two Water Contact Advisories for Locations in Gulfport
(JACKSON, Miss.) — The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), through its Beach Monitoring Program, issued water contact advisories Thursday for two sampling stations in Gulfport. These segments of beach are 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 locations may have high bacteria levels:
►Station 9 – Gulfport Harbor Beach – from 20th Avenue east to Thornton Avenue.
►Station 10 – Gulfport Central Beach – from Alfonso Drive east to Arkansas Avenue.
An advisory issued June 3 is still in effect for:
►Station 10B – East Courthouse Road Beach – from Courthouse Road east to Tegarden Road.
When water samples show that levels are safe for human contact, the advisories 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:
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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