Officials: Swimming advisories issued for 73 Long Island beaches 

Nassau and Suffolk counties on Thursday advised people not to swim at a total of 73 beaches after heavy rainfall, which can lead to bacterial contamination. 

Most of the beaches are in Suffolk with 54 closed. Nassau is closing 19.

The Nassau Health Department, in a statement issued Thursday morning, said it was taking “a precautionary measure for beaches known to be impacted by stormwater runoff caused by heavy rainfall.” It explained: “Stormwater runoff can impact bathing water quality by elevating bacteria levels,” which may exceed state water quality standards.

Nassau had issued a similar advisory on Monday.

The county's health officials said this advisory will be lifted at 7 a.m. Friday "unless there is additional heavy rainfall or water samples reveal elevated bacterial levels.”

Suffolk's Health Department, in its advisory, recommended that swimming "and other water contact" be temporarily halted in affected areas until two tidal cycles — over at least a 24-hour period — after the rain has stopped. it expected to lift the advisory at 8:30 a.m. on Friday "Unless heavy rains persist beyond today or sampling done by the Department finds elevated bacterial numbers persisting beyond the 24-hr period."

For the latest on Nassau beach openings and closings, call this number for recorded information: 516-227-9700.

Suffolk's advisory suspended bathing at beaches "within and adjacent to various north shore embayments: Cold Spring Harbor, Huntington Harbor and Bay, Centerport Harbor, Northport Harbor and Bay, Port Jefferson Harbor Complex, and Stony Brook Harbor, along the northern shoreline of the Great South Bay and those Long Island Sound beaches that are directly impacted by nearby storm water discharges."

For the latest on Nassau beach openings and closings, call this number for recorded information: 516-227-9700.

For Suffolk, call the Bathing Beach HOTLINE at 631 852-5822, contact the Department's Office of Ecology at 631 852-5760 during normal business hours, or visit the website link: www.suffolkcountyny.gov/health.