Nassau advises against swimming at six beaches after rainfall

Intense rain over the past 24 hours has prompted Nassau to warn against swimming at six beaches as a precaution.

Runoff following heavy rainfall previously has raised bacteria levels above state standards for water quality, officials said on Wednesday.

At a seventh beach, Massapequa's Philip Healey Beach, bacteria levels have exceeded the limits, according to the county department of health. The county has closed it until further notice.

Storms can carry a host of contaminants into streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and bays, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, from fertilizers to leaked fuel.

Bacteria, it says, comes from several sources including: lawns, roads, leaky sanitary sewer lines, sanitary sewer cross-connections, animal waste and septic systems.

At the beaches other than Philip Healey, swimming can resume as of 7 a.m. on Thursday — "unless there is additional heavy rainfall or water samples reveal elevated bacterial levels," the county health officials said.

The three North Shore beaches swimmers should shun are:

North Hempstead Beach Park – Port Washington

Sea Cliff Village Beach – Sea Cliff

Tappen Beach – Glenwood Landing

And the three South Shore beaches where swimming also is ill-advised are:

Biltmore Beach Club – Massapequa

Hewlett Point Beach – East Rockaway

Island Park Beach – Island Park

For up-to-date recorded information on beach openings and closings, call 516-227-9700.