5 no-swimming areas at NC coast; 9 NC river sites fail fecal bacteria testing

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Nearly 10 recreation sites along North Carolina rivers failed testing for fecal bacteria this week, and five coastal spots in three counties had swim warnings into the weekend after bacteria levels were found to exceed state and EPA standards.

The river swimming areas were tested by the group Sound Rivers, which tests about 50 sites weekly along various North Carolina rivers during the summer.

The coastal swimming warnings came from the N.C. Recreational Water Quality Program, which found elevated bacteria levels this week in two Dare County spots at the Outer Banks, in Beaufort County in Belhaven, and two locations in Carteret County along the Morehead City waterfront, officials said.

Sound Rivers said that three river sites in the Raleigh area failed to meet standards for E. coli bacteria. Those were the Highway 50 boat ramp at Falls Lake north of Raleigh, the Buffaloe Road site at the Neuse River in Raleigh, and the Raleigh Poole Road canoe launch for the Neuse River.

There were several days of heavy rains last week, and Sound Rivers has warned that torrential rains can lead to runoff in rivers that is “bacteria-laden.”

Two river sites closer to the North Carolina coast also failed testing by Sound Rivers: Pierce’s Creek along the Neuse River in Oriental and Brice’s Creek in New Bern, also along the Neuse River.

Elevated levels of fecal bacteria can come with increased risk of gastrointestinal illness and skin infections for pets and humans.

Near the North Carolina coast, four other river sites also failed testing, Sound Rivers said. Those sites were: the Tar River Reservoir in Rocky Mount, the Washington waterfront on the Pamlico River, and Havens Gardens and Bonner Point, both in Bath on the Pamlico River.

At the North Carolina coast, in Carteret County, swim warnings were issued at two sites where water quality officials found elevated bacteria levels. Both are in Bogue Sound along the Morehead City waterfront.

The first area is located at the public access on Sunset Drive, and the other is at the public swimming access at 16th Street, according to a N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (N.C. DEQ) news release. The swim warnings were issued on Tuesday.

Also Tuesday, a swim warning was issued for Dare County, the public beach access at E. Oregon Street in Kill Devil Hills, N.C. DEQ said. The advisory is not a beach closing and it only impacts an area within 200 feet of the sign at Kill Devil Hills.

On Friday, another warning was issued in Dare County for a sound-side swimming area, officials said. The swim advisory is for an area at Jockey’s Ridge Sound-side Access in Nags Head.

Recreational North Carolina water quality officials sample 224 sites throughout the state’s coastal region, most of them weekly, from April to October.

On Saturday, a swim advisory was issued for a sound-side area in Beaufort County. The warning against swimming is the public access to Pantego Creek located at the intersection of East Main and Tooley Streets in Belhaven.

State officials will continue testing the failed sites, and they will notify the public when the bacteria levels decrease to levels below the standards.