Health Department: Excess Bacteria Found at Three Beaches in Riverhead Area
Three private beaches on the Long Island Sound in the Town of Riverhead are closed to swimming due to excess amounts of bacteria, the Suffolk County Department of Health Services said on Friday afternoon.
The beach at Woodcliff Park Property Owners Association in Baiting Hollow, Camp DeWolfe Beach in Wading River and Baiting Hollow Camp Sound Beach are all closed to bathing due to levels of bacteria in excess of acceptable criteria.
Bathing in bacteria-contaminated water can result in gastrointestinal illness, as well as infections of the eyes, ears, nose, and throat, according to a statement from Suffolk County Commissioner of Health Dr. Gregson Pigott.
The nearby Shoreham Beach in Shoreham was closed earlier.
The beaches will reopen when further testing reveals that the bacteria have subsided to acceptable levels.
In an effort to protect public health, the Suffolk County Department of Health Services conducts ongoing water quality monitoring at bathing beaches from May through September. Sampling is performed by Office of Ecology staff, with analyses conducted by the Department’s state and the Public and Environmental Health Laboratory.
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