Politics & Government
Atlantic Beach Cleared for Swimming
Late Sunday morning, the state Department of Health officials cleared the waters off Atlantic Beach Club as safe for swimming.
The State Department of Health (DOH) has declared Atlantic Beach Club waters as safe for swimming again, after samples indicated low levels of bacteria found in the beach waters following rains dumped by Tropical Storm Earl overnight Friday.
The waters behind Atlantic Beach Club were ordered closed by the DOH Friday.
The swimming area behind the Atlantic Beach Club Pavilion is typically closed after more than an inch of heavy rain, because of a storm water drain that empties out directly where the sands of Atlantic Beach in Middletown and Easton's Beach in Newport meet.
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The storm runoff washes out pollutants and contaminants typically found in human sewage into the beach water and increases the level of harmful bacteria. Swimmers who enter the water run the risk of gastrointestinal illness and infections to open wounds.
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