FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 13, 2012
Contact: Robbie Wilbur
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 water contact advisories Friday 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 these areas.
MDEQ is working closely with local officials to advise residents that the water in the following locations may have high bacteria levels:
● Station 5 -- Pass Christian West near Lady Mary Avenue -- from Elliot Street on the east to Fort Henry Avenue on the west;
● Station 7A -- Long Beach near Trautman Avenue -- from Girard on the east to Oak Gardens on the west;
● Station 10 -- Gulfport Central near Oak Avenue -- from the Old VA entrance on the east to Alfonso Drive on the west.
● Station 11 remains under an advisory issued April 10 -- Gulfport East near Cowan Road -- from Anniston Avenue on the east to Teagarden Road on the west.
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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