State lifts one water advisory, second remains

| July 25, 2012

Ocean Bay Boulevard beach. (Sam Walker)

Advisories against swimming were posted Wednesday at two oceanside sites in Dare County, where state officials found bacteria levels that exceed the state and Environmental Protection Agency’s recreational water quality standards.

Both affected public beach accesses at bathhouses, one on Ocean Bay Boulevard in Kill Devil Hills and the other at Milepost 15 off South Virginia Dare Trail in Nags Head. The advisory at Milepost 15 was lifted Thursday.

Test results taken July 24 indicated levels that exceeded the state and federal action levels of 104 enterococci per 100 milliliters for high usage sites.

The N.C. Recreational Water Quality Program tests water quality at ocean and sound beaches in accordance with federal and state laws. Enterococci, the bacteria group used for testing, are found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals. While it does not cause illness, scientific studies indicate that enterococci may indicate the presence of other disease-causing organisms.

People swimming or playing in waters with bacteria levels higher than the action level have an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal illness or skin infections.

Swimming advisories affect water within 200 feet of the sign posted by the state.

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See what people are saying:

  • obxdad says:

    Looks like the crap we take from tourists has now become literal.

    • on July 25, 2012 @ 1:44 pm

  • chaser says:

    Gotta love the drainage pipes and runoff!

    • on July 25, 2012 @ 1:46 pm

  • skiffguide says:

    Ah, the pristine, unspoiled Outer Banks- the septic tank capital of North Carolina

    • on July 25, 2012 @ 2:37 pm

  • Jerry says:

    You know, 7 inches of rain in as many days…you can say we got flushed…don’t you think? We should be clean for a while now. If they try and fix the village of nags head wastewater treatment plant and bring it out of violation, perhaps Nags Head will be spared next time.

    • on July 25, 2012 @ 4:03 pm

  • obxdad says:

    Yeah, it definitely was the rain – there is an outflow pipe not far south of the KDH bathhouse beach.

    • on July 25, 2012 @ 7:54 pm

  • Native son says:

    What about the Nag’s Head/Park Service line,there’s an outfall there.

    • on July 25, 2012 @ 8:16 pm

  • ekim says:

    Sooooo the GODS pooped in our pond?

    • on July 25, 2012 @ 9:46 pm

  • comfortablybum says:

    Same as I told some kids jumping off the Manteo bridge today: “A little poo never hurt anyone.”

    • on July 25, 2012 @ 10:20 pm

  • kdh kid says:

    the outflow pipe just south of ocean bay at the oregon beach access is actually from the reverse osmosis plant, the water may look a little funky sometimes, but its algae, the water is fresh water. theres a sign up at the duneline, the closest storm water outflow is south of cavalier

    • on July 26, 2012 @ 8:26 am

  • LuvColingtonHarbour says:

    No big surprise … we are all floating on a big turd anyway … all these septic tanks … so gross when kids (and adults) play in standing water after hurricanes and storms … should just swim in your toilet cuz it’s the same thing!

    • on July 26, 2012 @ 9:36 am

  • Barbara says:

    According to a press release in the Thursday July 26th Coastland Times the KDHWWTP LLC had a discharge of untreated sewage from a four-inch sewer main located on Memorial Ave. 50 yards south from Calvin Street and according to an Enviro-Tech press release, “the volume is estimated at 12,000 gallons and believed to have occurred between July 17-23. Enviro-Tech made the initial repair and may be contacted (491-5277) if any questions or concerns arise.

    • on July 26, 2012 @ 3:24 pm

  • Barbara says:

    Enviro-Tech also stated “The untreated wastewater entered in to the canal directly next to where the break occurred, which eventually flows into the Atlantic Ocean.”

    • on July 26, 2012 @ 3:26 pm

  • Bill says:

    Yea, I was SUP surfing on south side of Jennette’s over the weekend, and sections of the water were quite nasty out past the surf zone. Looked like runoff pollution from all the rain. Luckily on the SUP, I was above it, and in the surf zone the muck was not found.

    • on July 26, 2012 @ 4:24 pm

  • ipoofreely says:

    If there’s something strange
    on your stretch of beach
    Who ya gonna call?
    Poobusters

    • on August 8, 2012 @ 12:23 am

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