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Water advisory issued for Rehoboth Avenue beach

Enterococcus levels above recreational swimming standard used by DNREC
July 30, 2020

Story Location:
Rehoboth Avenue beach
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
United States

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control issued a water-quality advisory Thursday, July 30, for the beach around the Rehoboth Avenue area of Rehoboth Beach. The advisory has been issued following bacterial results which were above the recreational water-quality standard.

DNREC uses enterococcus levels to determine recreational swimming advisories in Delaware, with the threshold beginning at greater than 104 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters. According to the sample data found online, there were 231 colony-forming units during a test July 29.

According to the press release, these bacteria most likely originate from wildlife sources, and increased rainfall, waves or wildlife feeding near the surf (shorebirds, marine mammals or other warm-blooded animals) can result in these indicator bacteria washing into the near-shore waters.

The advisory will be lifted once indicator bacteria levels are within the recreational water limits, according to DNREC. For more information on DNREC’s recreational waters monitoring program, go to recwaters.dnrec.delaware.gov.

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