Extensive erosion from recent and constant northeast winds that have exposed septic fields have prompted state recreational water quality officials to issue a precautionary swim advisory for ocean waters near Corbina Drive in Rodanthe and near Cottage Avenue and Tower Circle in Buxton.
Officials with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Recreational Water Quality Program said Friday they would place signs near the public accesses once conditions at the location are safe and would lift the advisory when bacteriological test results come back within state and federal standards and the expose risk is no longer a concern.
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“The risk of exposure is temporary and should resolve once the septic tank is emptied and the system is no longer being utilized. The state is working with the National Park Service and Dare County officials to determine when the risk of exposure is no longer a concern,” officials said.
Wastewater discharges increase the risk that contamination is present in the ocean and nearby tidal pools. Adverse health effects such as diarrhea, abdominal cramps and skin infections could occur if people swim in these areas, and the public is advised to avoid bodily contact with these waters.
