Update: State officials lifted this advisory Tuesday, April 16.
Officials advised Wednesday against swimming at a soundside public access near Holly Ridge in Onslow County because bacteria levels in the water were found to exceed the state’s and Environmental Protection Agency’s recreational water quality standards.
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An advisory was posted for the public access into the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway at Morris Landing Clean Water Preserve at the end of Morris Landing Road.
The advisory is not a beach closing for Stump Sound, but instead advises against swimming within 200 feet of the sign.
Test results of water samples taken Monday and Tuesday indicate bacteria levels that exceed the state and federal action levels of 104 enterococci per 100 ml for Tier 2 nondaily use sites. Swimming areas are classified based on recreational use and are referred to as tiers.
State officials will continue testing the site, and they will remove the sign and notify the public again when the bacteria levels decrease to levels below the standards.
The North Carolina Recreational Water Quality Program tests water quality at ocean and sound beaches in accordance with federal and state laws. Enterococci, the bacteria group used for testing, is found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals. While it does not cause illness, scientific studies show that enterococci may indicate the presence of other disease-causing organisms. People swimming or playing in waters with bacteria levels higher than the action level have an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal illness or skin infections.
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State recreational water quality officials sample 221 sites throughout the coastal region, most of them on a weekly basis, from April to October. Testing continues on a reduced schedule during the rest of the year, when the waters are colder.
For more information on the N.C. Recreational Water Quality Program or to a view a map of testing sites, visit the program’s website and follow the program’s social media.
