On May 31, 2013, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department issued a no contact advisory for Purdy Sandspit County Park in Purdy, WA. The closure was issued due to high fecal bacteria counts in the water. The public is warned not to make contact with the water until further notice. The Health Department will continue to collect water samples weekly.Contact with fecal contaminated waters can result in gastroenteritis, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections and other illnesses. Children and the elderly may be more vulnerable to waterborne illnesses.
Stay updated about water quality at your beaches by keeping up with us on Facebook, checking beach status on Coastal Atlas, or joining our listserv. Christopher Clinton is the interim BEACH Program Manager and is available at 360-407-6154 or christopher.clinton@ecy.wa.gov for questions.
2 comments:
Define fecal matter, please. Human? What? I find this particularly odd....
The BEACH Program blog is named "Fecal Matters" because we monitor swimming beaches for fecal bacteria. These bacteria indicate pollution from sewage treatment plant problems, boating waste, malfunctioning septic systems, animal waste, or other sources of fecal pollution. The beach at Purdy Sandspit was closed because the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department found fecal bacteria at high enough levels to pose a human health risk.
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