News Flash

June 20, 2019 - The Health Department has lifted the swimming advisory for the southern end of Buckroe Beach now that bacteria levels meet standards.

The department had had issued a swimming advisory for the southern end of Buckroe Beach on Wednesday. New samples of the water taken Wednesday show that the levels of bacteria now meet the state water quality standards for swimming.

The affected area runs from the fishing pier to Point Comfort Avenue. An advisory doesn’t close the water to swimmers — it just warns you that you face elevated risk. The risk is especially elevated for children, who are more likely to swallow the water, or those who have open wounds or weakened immune systems.

When the city is notified of contaminated water, officials begin looking for a cause. Most commonly, bacteria levels can increase after a major storm, when sewer or wastewater systems could become overwhelmed and have overflows. Bacteria also could be caused by a leak in one of the systems.

To read more about the water testing program, go to https://hampton.gov/3520/Beach-water-testing