MDEQ Lifts Five Beach Water Contact Advisories and Issues One
(JACKSON, Miss.) – The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), through its Beach Monitoring Program, lifted beach water contact advisories Thursday for five stations. Water samples at these stations show the areas have attained acceptable bacteria levels. One advisory was also issued, and there is one other advisory 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.
The advisories are lifted for:
  • Station 10B — East Courthouse Road Beach (Gulfport) — the extent is from Courthouse Rd. east to Tegarden Rd.
  • Station 11A — Edgewater Beach (Biloxi) — the extent is from Debuys Rd. east to Edgewater Ave.
  • Station 12A — Biloxi West Central Beach — the extent is from Travia St. east to Iberville Dr.
  • Station 14 — Front Beach (Ocean Springs) — the extent is from the Yacht Club east to Jackson Ave.
  • Station 19 — Pascagoula Beach West — from Oliver St. east to Westwood St.
An advisory is issued for:
  • Station 8 — Gulfport West Beach — the extent is from Marie Ave. east to Camp Ave.
An advisory remains in effect for:
  • 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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