FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Robbie Wilbur
February 22, 2012 601/961-5277
MDEQ ISSUES WATER CONTACT ADVISORY FOR THREE LOCATIONS
(JACKSON, Miss.) -- The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), through its Beach Monitoring Program, issued a water contact advisory today for two sampling stations in Jackson County and one sampling station in Harrison County. These segments of beach are not closed; however, there may be an increased risk of illness associated with swimming in those areas. MDEQ is working closely with local officials to advise residents that the water in the following locations may have high bacteria levels:
● Sampling Station 14 - Front Beach near Martin Ave., Ocean Springs
- Sampling Station 15 - Shearwater Beach near Holcomb Blvd., Ocean Springs
- Sampling Station 10A - Courthouse Road Beach near Courthouse Road west parking lot, Gulfport
When water samples show that levels are safe for human contact, the advisory 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.
Additionally, 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 or follow MDEQ on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/MDEQ.
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