Nassawadox, Va.–The Eastern Shore Health District has lifted a Swimming Advisory that had been in place at the Town of Cape Charles Beach in Cape Charles, Virginia. Recent retesting conducted by the Virginia Department of Health showed that bacteria levels in the water once again meet the State Water Quality Standards.
Recreational waters are monitored for bacteria using indicator organisms such as enterococci, the indicator of choice for estuarine and marine waters. “The coastal waters of Virginia are generally very clean, and we test them frequently to confirm this,” said District Health Director, David O. Matson, MD, PhD “On the occasions when waters do fail to meet the standards, we need to protect public health by letting residents and visitors know.”
Signs previously alerting the public of the advisory at the Town of Cape Charles Beach are being removed. Environmental health officials sample the Town of Cape Charles Beach on a weekly basis during the swimming season from May into September.
Enterococci are a group of organisms used to determine the extent of fecal contamination of recreational waters. While they do not cause illness, scientific studies indicate that their presence is closely correlated to the presence of other disease-causing organisms. People swimming or playing in waters with bacteria levels higher than the standard have an increased
risk of developing gastrointestinal illness.
For additional information on beaches, contact the Eastern Shore Health District at (757)787-5886.
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Does the Health Department try to find the source and seek a remedy ?