Govt. Continues To Monitor Seawater Quality

The Department of Health said that it is continuing to monitor the seawater quality at Bermuda’s major beaches, and the results so far this year show that all the beaches sampled meet Health standards and are safe for swimming .

Results are available 24 hours after sampling and are posted on the Government website.

Regularly monitored beaches include: Horseshoe Bay, Warwick Long Bay, Elbow Beach, Grape Bay, John Smiths Bay, Shelly Bay, Clearwater Beach, Snorkel Park and Tobacco Bay.

A spokesperson said, “Samples are collected twice-weekly by an Environmental Health Officer, who also carries out a visual inspection of the beaches to identify any potential problems.

“Samples are taken approximately 1 foot below the surface of the water and in one continuous ‘dip’. The sampler enters the water to thigh depth [the sampler is partially immersed in order to enter the bathing zone] and dips a sample by holding the open sampling bottle a foot below surface or alternatively uses a sampling pole to take a sample 1 foot below the water surface.

“The sample location is kept consistent and location, wind, tide, time, and date is recorded. Samples are stored in a cooler with ice for transport to the lab. Samples are analyzed at the Central Government Laboratory for bacteria.

“The Enterococci group of bacteria are used as an indicator of faecal pollution, as specified by the US Environmental Protection Agency for recreational seawater quality monitoring.”

The issue was in the headlines a few weeks ago following the U.S. Consulate issuing a “Security Message” entitled “Contaminated Beaches,” citing the “ongoing dumping of raw sewage off Bermuda’s south coast.”

#ContaminatedBeachesWarning #Health

Category: All, Environment, News