MDEQ Issues Water Contact Advisories for Locations in Harrison and Jackson Counties

MDEQ Issues Water Contact Advisories for Locations in Harrison and Jackson Counties

(JACKSON, Miss.) — The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), through its Beach Monitoring Program, issued water contact advisories Saturday for sampling stations in Harrison County and Jackson County. 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:

Harrison County:

►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.
►Station 11 – Gulfport East Beach – from Tegarden Road east to Anniston Avenue.
►Station 11A – Edgewater Beach – from Debuys Road east to Edgewater Avenue.
►Station 12A – Biloxi West Central Beach – from Travia Avenue east to Iberville Drive.
►Station 12B – Biloxi East Central Beach – from St. Peter Street east to Dukate Street.
►Station 13A – Biloxi East Beach – from Dukate Street east to Kuhn Street.

Jackson County:

►Station 14 – Front Beach – from the Ocean Springs Yacht Club to Jackson Avenue.
►Station 15 – Shearwater Beach – from Weeks Bayou to Ashley Place.

The following advisory is still in effect:

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

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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