UPDATE June 6, 2018 at 6:13 p.m. – The Norfolk Department of Public Health has now lifted all Swimming Advisories posted on Tuesday, June 5, 2018 for the following nine Ocean View beach locations: East Community Beach, 21st Bay Street, 5th Bay Street, Capeview Ave, North Community Beach, Ocean View Park, Sarah Constant Beach, 10th View Street, and 13th View Street.
ORIGINAL STORY:
NORFOLK — This city’s health department has issued swimming advisories for multiple Ocean View beaches:
- East Community Beach
- 21st Bay Street
- 5th Bay Street
- Capeview Avenue
- North Community Beach
- Ocean View Park
- Sarah Constant Beach
- 10th View Street
- 13th View Street
Water testing conducted Tuesday revealed enterococci bacteria levels at these sites exceeding State Water Quality Standards, officials wrote in a news release.
Signs have been posted to alert the public of this advisory. Health officials will continue testing the beach waters and will remove posted signs and notify the public when the bacteria levels decrease to meet state standards.
The Environmental Health Division of the Norfolk Department of Public Health samples Ocean View beach water on a weekly basis, during the swimming season, from mid-May through the end of September.
Enterococci bacteria are a group of indicator organisms used to determine the extent of fecal contamination in recreational waters.
While enterococci bacteria do not cause illness, scientific studies indicate that their presence is closely correlated to the presence of other disease-causing organisms.
People swimming or playing in waters with bacteria levels higher than the state standards have an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal illness.
For information on these Swimming Advisories, contact the Norfolk Department of Public Health Environmental Health Division at 757-683-2712.
