(WTNH) – Though it was a beautiful day, no one was swimming at Silver Sands State Park in Milford on Wednesday. A red flag on the beach let visitors know they’re not allowed in the water. The swimming area is one of three in Connecticut that was closed because of high levels of bacteria.
“It’s all for safety,” said Matt Busse, Head Lifeguard at Silver Sands.
Swimming areas at Day Pond State Park in Colchester and Wharton Brook State Park in Wallingford were also closed to swimmers because of bacteria. All three parks remained open, however.
The Department of Energy & Environmental Protection tests the water weekly. When bacteria levels are high enough swimming areas are closed. DEEP officials say that can happen when we have hot, dry weather followed by a storm.
“Trash, litter, pet waste, even wildlife waste itself – that stuff gets accumulated and flushed into the stream systems,” said Robert Hust, Assistant Director of DEEP’s water bureau.
All that bacteria then makes its way into swimming areas. Certain areas are more susceptible to bacteria than others.
“Small areas like Day Pond and Wharton Brook tend to accumulate [bacteria] and it might take a little longer to flush those pollutants out,” said Hust.
Despite those red flags, DEEP officials say so far they haven’t had to keep people out of the water much this year. Even though people at Silver Sands aren’t allowed to jump in and cool off, they can still enjoy the sunshine.
“Beach goers are understanding that we do have to have the water closed for today,” said Busse.
Areas are usually closed for swimming for a day or two after the storms are over. That way DEEP can make sure they’re safe. There are things you can do to prevent bacteria levels from getting too high.
“Don’t litter. Don’t throw trash around. Pick up your pet waste. Don’t feed geese, especially when they’re on the beach or near the beach,” said Hust.
The water at these swimming areas will be retested on Thursday. The results are expected on Friday, and they’ll be closed until then.
