Beach Testing Results for August 31, 2016
BEACH TESTING RESULTS FOR AUGUST 31st, 2016 – GEOMETRIC MEAN
Lighthouse Beach Geomean = 93
LIGHTHOUSE BEACH – NO SWIMMING DUE TO GEOMEAN EXCEEDENCE
ALL OTHER BEACHES OPEN FOR SWIMMING
Scituate Beach Water Testing Results:
Beach testing results are also posted to the News & Notices area of the Town of Scituate Home page.
Under Massachusetts Department of Public Health regulations for beaches, beach operators must sample bathing water at all public beaches for bacteria each week, using the Enterococcus indicator organism. Under that regulation, beach sampling is conducted weekly during the swim season, which is between the third week of June and Labor Day. The six beaches that are sampled include Humarock, Peggotty, Sand Hills, Egypt, Lighthouse and Minot. Test results cannot exceed a specified number of bacteria colonies per 100 mL sample of water. The maximum contaminant level is 104 Enterococci/100 mL of ocean water. If the results exceed 104 Enterococci/100 mL of ocean water, the beach must be closed to swimming after two consecutive unsatisfactory samples have been collected or if sampling cannot occur on the day following a single elevated level is detected.
Additionally, the geometric mean of the 5 most recent samples collected more than 24 hours after a rain event shall not exceed 35 colonies per 100 ml of water. The geomean at Lighthouse Beach exceeds that limit and additional sampling results will not lower the geomean below allowable levels due to today’s rain. Thus, no additional samples will be collected this season.