UPDATE: The Swim Advisory has been lifted for Yorktown Beach.
NEWPORT NEWS — The Peninsula Health District has issued a swimming advisory for Yorktown Beach.
According to the Peninsula Health District, samples collected on July 31 showed that bacteria levels in the water exceeded the state water quality standard.
“We encourage the public to protect their health by complying with this advisory,” said Mary Wainwright, Environmental Health Manager of the Hampton and Peninsula Health Districts. “Typically, an advisory of this nature is temporary and will be withdrawn once the bacteria levels have returned to a safe level.”
Recreational waters are monitored for bacteria routinely during the summer swimming season, according to the Peninsula Health District, using indicator organisms such as enterococci, the indicator of choice for estuarine and marine waters.
Enterococci are a group of organisms used to determine the extent of fecal contamination of recreational waters, it explained. While these organisms 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 standard have an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal illness.
A sign is posted at the beach alerting the public of the advisory.
Additional samples were collected by health officials on Wednesday and results should be available on Thursday, according to the Peninsula Health District. Health officials will remove the sign and notify the public again when the bacteria levels decrease to levels that meet the state water quality standards.
