FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 29, 2011
Contact: Robbie Wilbur
601/961-5277
MDEQ ISSUES WATER CONTACT ADVISORIES FOR THREE LOCATIONS
(JACKSON, Miss.) -- The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), through its Beach Monitoring Program, issued water contact advisories today for three sampling stations 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:
● Station 7 -- Pass Christian East Beach near Shadow Lawn Avenue in Pass Christian;
●Station 10 -- Gulfport Central Beach at the Armed Forces Retirement Center near Oak Avenue in Gulfport;
●Station 10 A -- Courthouse Road Beach near Courthouse Road west parking lot in Gulfport.
When water samples show that levels are safe for human contact, the advisories 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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