NORFOLK, Va. — UPDATE: The swimming advisories at the Ocean View beaches 5th Bay Street, 10th View, and 13th View have been lifted.
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High levels of bacteria were found at three Ocean View beaches.
Swimming advisories have been issued at 5th Bay Street, 10th View, and 13th View on Monday.
Water testing conducted on Tuesday revealed enterococci bacteria levels at these sites exceeding State Water Quality Standards. While enterococci bacteria do not generally cause illness, scientific studies indicate that their presence is closely correlated to the presence of other disease-causing organisms.
Enterococci bacteria are a group of indicator organisms used to determine the extent of fecal contamination in recreational waters.
People swimming or playing in waters with bacteria levels higher than the state standards have an increased risk of developing a gastrointestinal illness.
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 late-May through the end of September.
For further information, call the Environmental Health Division, Norfolk Department of Public Health, at 757-683-2712.
