Recreational Health Advisory Issued for Port Jefferson Harbor Complex
Little Bay Beach, Grantland Beach, Bayview Beach, Indian Field Beach, Bayberry Cove Beach are Closed to Bathing
The Suffolk County Department of Health Services today issued an advisory for residents and visitors to take precautions before recreating in the Port Jefferson Harbor complex (Port Jefferson Harbor, Setauket Harbor, Conscience Bay). This advisory follows a recent NYSDEC report of a partially treated (pre-disinfected) sewage discharge resulting from a break in an effluent force main pipe near the intersection of Route 25A and Runs Road, East Setauket.
The discharge reached nearby surface waters, therefore, there is potential for elevated levels of pathogenic organisms to be present in this area. Corrective actions to mitigate the discharge have been completed.
Suffolk County Health officials are working closely with the NYSDEC, which has jurisdiction over the permitting, enforcement, and management of the SUNY Stony Brook treatment plant where the effluent originated.
The NYSDEC had previously prohibited the harvest of shellfish year round from Setauket Harbor and today issued a temporary closure order for the entire Port Jefferson Harbor complex.
Health officials advise those who recreate in the Port Jefferson Harbor complex to avoid contact with these waters until 6 a.m. Thursday, June 6, 2024.
Keep children and pets away from the area. If contact does occur, rinse off with clean water immediately. Seek medical attention if after exposure you experience nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, skin, eye or throat irritation, or allergic reactions or breathing difficulties.
More information is forthcoming as health officials learn more about the situation.
Additionally, Little Bay Beach, Grantland Beach, Bayview Beach, Indian Field Beach, Bayberry Cove Beach in Strongs Neck have been closed due to the potential for bacteria at levels in excess of acceptable criteria resulting from the discharge.
The beaches will reopen when testing reveals that bacteria are within acceptable limits.
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