Five beaches on Long Island closed due to high bacteria levels
Lake Ronkonkoma Beach on July 8, 2019. The Suffolk County Department of Health closed swimming at the beach Thursday due to high bacteria levels. Credit: James Carbone
Five beaches on Long Island were shut down Thursday for swimming due to high bacteria levels, according to the state Department of Health.
The Suffolk County Department of Health closed swimming at Islip’s Lake Ronkonkoma beach, the Huntington Beach Community Association in Centerport and Bayport Beach. Health officials said the beaches would reopen after water quality testing when bacteria levels drop to acceptable levels.
In Nassau County, Crescent Beach in Glen Cove and Philip Healy Beach in Massapequa were also closed Thursday due to elevated bacteria.
In Suffolk, Venetian Shores Beach in Lindenhurst reopened Thursday after being closed for two days for high bacteria levels.
Typically, bathing and swimming at beaches can close when rainfall or storms usher in bacteria into bayfront beaches. It typically takes about two tide cycles for bacteria to be flushed out into the ocean.
Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott warned that bathing in bacteria-contaminated water can lead to gastrointestinal illness and eye, ear, nose and throat infections.
For more information on beach closures, residents can call the Bathing Beach HOTLINE at 852-5822
John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.
