Swim advisories issued for NC beaches due to potential contamination

NORTH CAROLINA — If you are planning a last-minute summer trip to the beach or lake, you may want to proceed with caution.

Currently, three beaches in North Carolina have swimming advisories due to contamination, according to the state’s Department of Public Health: Wrightsville Beach’s Cama Access, Pamlico River’s City Park, and Washington at the Pamlico River.

South Carolina, however, does not have any beaches that are being monitored.

Channel 9 reporter Nicole D’Antonio spoke with researchers about this issue.

They said swimming in contaminated water could lead to illnesses and infections. This is why officials encourage beachgoers to check advisories before entering the water.

“Definitely check to see what the most recent beach testing is doing at your favorite beach,” said John Rumpler with Environment America.

According to the non-profit Environment America, each year there are around 57 million cases of illnesses in the United States that stem from swimming in contaminated oceans, lakes, or rivers.

Researchers said most of the contamination comes from stormwater runoff or sewage overflows.

Environment America also said nearly 1/2 of U.S. beaches had potentially unsafe contamination levels in 2022.

“The good news is there are ways we can solve this problem. We can invest in fixing our sewage infrastructure to stop raw sewage from going into our waters, which contain pathogens. We can stop runoff pollution,” Rumpler said.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided more than $11 billion towards sewage and stormwater projects.

However, researchers say more needs to be done to keep our beaches safe and clean.

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