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Mostly Cloudy Health Department: beach water quality OK
County says that area beaches are safe for swimming
The Nassau County Department of Health announced on Thursday that the results of water-quality testing that began in mid-April show that area beaches are safe for swimming.
The results come as the city prepares to open its beaches for the Memorial Day weekend.
The Health Department said that it would continue to conduct routine bathing beach water quality monitoring at permitted beaches along the South Shore. Since mid-April, when routine testing began, the department said that all samples conducted at these beaches were within the state and federal water quality guidelines.
“All 22 beaches on the barrier island tested with good water-quality results,” said Health Department spokeswoman Mary Ellen Laurain.
The Health Department inspects and regulates all public bathing beaches and pools in the county, and decides on any beach closings, according to its website. Laurain said that regularly scheduled testing of the ocean water — for bacteria and other organisms that can make people ill — began in April.
She told the Herald in April that testing is done at least twice a month through Labor Day, and that public beaches on bays or inlets are tested twice a week because they are more affected by stormwater runoff that can elevate bacteria levels.
“We do water testing at permanent beaches, which are those staffed with lifeguards for the purposes of bathing,” Laurain said.
The Health Department also said on Thursday that the results of water and air samples taken on May 15 for communities surrounding the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant do not reveal any public health concerns.
Air monitoring results, the Health Department said, were well below the established state and federal guidelines. Marine water samples, conducted at nine locations surrounding the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant, were also well below the state and federal guidelines set forth for bathing beach water quality analysis, according to the Health Department.
“As promised to the residents in the communities surrounding the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant, testing by the Department of Health has been completed,” said Commissioner of Health Dr. Lawrence Eisenstein. “I am pleased that all samples taken were safely below State and Federal guidelines.”
