MOREHEAD CITY — State recreational water quality officials have posted an advisory against swimming at the Sunset Drive public access to Bogue Sound because bacteria levels exceed state and federal standards.
Officials posted a sign with the advisory information on Tuesday at the site.
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Swimming advisories are for waters within 200 feet of the sign and are not a beach closing, according to the Recreational Water Quality Program, which is under the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.
Enterococci, the bacteria group used for testing, is found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals.
Test results of water samples indicate a running monthly average of 36 enterococci per 100 milliliters of water, which exceeds the state and federal standards of a running monthly average of 35 enterococci per 100 milliliters, based on five samples taken within a 30-day period, officials said.
While Enterococci is not known to 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 standards have an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal illness or skin infections.
Officials said they will continue to test the area. Once bacteria levels are below state and Environmental Protection Agency’s recreational water quality standards, the sign will be removed and the public will be notified.
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Recreational water quality officials sample 221 sites on the coast, most of them on a weekly basis, from April to October. Testing continues on a reduced schedule during the rest of the year, when fewer people are in the water.
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 Twitter feed.
