ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – The Glynn County Health Department has lifted the latest advisory for East Beach at the old Coast Guard station (10th Street East to Driftwood Drive) and Massengale Park Beach (Driftwood Drive to Cedar Street) on St. Simons Island.
The advisories were issued Tuesday after routine water quality tests showed a high level of enterococci bacteria, which increase the risk of gastrointestinal illness in swimmers.
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Water samples are tested only for enterococcus bacteria, which is found in warm blooded animals including humans, but also birds, raccoons, deer, dolphins and other wildlife. It is difficult to determine exactly where the bacteria come from but some sources could include animal waste, stormwater runoff or boating waste.
When a beach is under advisory, it means that the level of bacteria found in the water is above the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended standards. The advisory does not mean the beach is closed.
Subsequent water samples taken showed that the bacteria levels had dropped below EPA recommended limits, allowing the advisory to be lifted.
For more information about beach water testing, visit gachd.org and click on the Environmental Health tab at the top of the page.
One of these two areas was under advisory for the same reason twice before this summer, one the third week of June and again last week.