NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The swimming advisory that was issued for King Lincoln Park Beach Thursday has been lifted.
Samples taken on July 26 showed that bacteria levels did not meet state water quality standards.
On Thursday, the Peninsula Health District received results from a re-sampling that indicate that bacteria levels in the beach’s water now meet state water quality standards for recreational water.
Recreational waters are checked during the summer months for high levels of bacteria. Environmental health officials sample Hilton, Huntington, Yorktown, King Lincoln and Anderson public beaches on a weekly basis from May to September.
Indicator organisms like enterococci are monitored and when they are too high a sign is posted at the beach.
Enterococci are a group of organisms used to determine the amount of fecal contamination of recreation water. They do not cause illness but research shows when enterococci are present, other disease-causing organisms may be as well.
Officials with the Peninsula Health District advise swimmers not to swim in water that looks stagnant, muddy, or smells unpleasant and to avoid swimming in natural water bodies for several days after a heavy rainfall.
