MonitoringHarmfulBacteriaAtBlueHillBeaches
FormorethanadecadeMERIhasmonitoredwaterqualityinBlueHillBayandreportedconcernstothe
community.ThisreportsharesresultsofmonitoringEnteroccocusbacteriacountsatlocalBlueHillandSurry
beaches.Enteroccocusisanindicatorhumanandanimalfecalcontamination.Highlevelscancauseear,eye,
nose,andGIinfectionsandchildrenareverysusceptibletobacteria-borneillness.
MonitoringResultsJuly21,2016:
ResultsfromtheJuly20thdailytestingshowthedailybacterialevelsatBlueHillTownBeacharewithinthe
EPA’scriteriaforsafeswimming(below104unitsper100mLonagivenday),butthemonthlyaverage
bacterialevelatthislocationisstillhigherthanEPA’slevelsforsafeswimming.TheEPAadvisesagainst
swimmingwhenthebacterialevelexceeds35unitsper100mLonamonthlyaveragebasis.AsofJuly20th,
theaverageEnteroccocusbacterialevelatBlueHillTownParkwas59.4unitsper100mLonanaverage
monthlybasis.ThisisduetoelevatedbacterialevelsintheJuly7andJuly8samples,bothfollowingaheavy
rainonJuly5.
ThemonthlyaveragebacterialevelatPeter’sCovewaswithinEPA’scriteriaforsafeswimmingasofJune
21.ElevateddailybacterialevelsinthesamplesfromPetersCoveonJuly20and21couldbedueto
constructiononthebridgeoverLittlePeter’sStream.Itwasnoteduponresamplingthatthesafetyrailinghad
beenremovedanddirtappearedtohavebeenlaintoleveltheareaResultstakenupstreamfromthebridge
onJuly21confirmthatLittlePeter’sStreamwasnotthesourceofbacteria.
ThemonthlyaveragebacterialevelandthedailybacterialevelsattheCountryClubBeach,KYC,CurtisCove,
andSurryTownBeachwerewithinEPA’scriteriaforsafeswimmingasofJune20,2016.
TheMERImonitoringteamwillcontinueregularmonitoringofallsixlocalbeachesandwillpostweekly
updatesathttp://www.meriresearch.org/content/beach-advisory
LOCATION
CountryClubBeach
BlueHillTownBeach
PetersCove
KYC
CurtisCove
SurryTownBeach
7/20/16
SITE1
SITE2
6.2
6.3
8.6
9.6
8.5
44.8
4.1
2.0
5.2
8.6
5.1
4.1
7/21/16
SITE1
SITE2
78.7
Monthly
AVERAGE
5.95
59.4
34.7
33.8
19.46
6.85
*DatameasuredinMostProbableNumber(MPN)forEnterococcusina100mLsample.ResultsinredareaboveEPAcriterionfor
marinewater:35colony-formingunitsper100mLonamonthlyaveragebasisorabove104unitsper100MLonagivenday.