Water advisories in effect at two popular Mississippi Coast beaches. What to know.
Two beaches in Gulfport and Biloxi are under water contact advisories, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality said Saturday.
The affected areas are East Courthouse Road Beach between East Courthouse Road and Tegarden Road in Gulfport and Biloxi East Central Beach between St. Peter Street and Dukate Street.
Both beaches have high levels of bacteria. The beaches are not closed but the MDEQ warns swimming may increase risk of illness.
The MDEQ said it will lift the advisories after water samples show bacteria levels are safe for contact. The agency’s Beach Task Force discourages swimming within 24 hours of significant rainfall, although the advisories were issued before heavy rains on Sunday.
Mississippi’s Beach Monitoring Program tests water for Enterococcus, bacteria that live in the intestinal tracts of some animals. Enterococcus is not harmful to humans but may indicate that bacteria from wastewater treatment plants, septic systems, recreational boat sewage or other fecal contaminants are in the water.
