More Suffolk beaches closed due to unsafe bacteria levels, health officials say

Suffolk health officials announced Friday that more beaches have been closed after officials found unsafe levels of bacteria in the waters.

Sound Beach Property Owners Association East and West, Tides Beach in Rocky Point and Valley Grove Beach in Huntington have been closed, the Suffolk County Department of Health Services announced Friday in a news release.

The beaches have been added to a list of five others that were closed earlier this week, including Tanner Park Beach in Copiague, Venetian Shores Beach in Lindenhurst, Little Bay Beach in Strongs Neck, Lake Ronkonkoma and Bayport Beach.

Suffolk County Commissioner of Health Dr. James Tomarken said in the notice that “bathing in bacteria-contaminated water can result in gastrointestinal illness, as well as infections of the eyes, ears, nose, and throat.”

For more information, health officials said the public may call the Bathing Beach Hotline at 631-852-5822 or contact the Department’s Office of Ecology at 631-852-5760 during normal business hours.