UPDATE:
Recreational Health Advisory for Port Jefferson Harbor Complex Lifted for All but One Beach
Little Bay Beach, Grantland Beach, Bayview Beach, Bayberry Cove Beach reopened to bathing.
Indian Field Beach remains closed.
Suffolk County health officials today lifted the recreation advisory issued June 5, 2024, for the Port Jefferson Harbor complex, which includes Port Jefferson Harbor, Setauket Harbor, Conscience Bay, as recent sampling results at the beaches has improved and are within acceptable limits. The advisory followed a partially treated sewage discharge resulting from a break in an effluent force main pipe near the intersection of Route 25A and Runs Road, East Setauket.
Indian Field Beach in Strong's Neck remains closed due to bathing due to unacceptable water quality.
Unrelated to the discharge, Tanner Park Beach in Copiague, Venetian Shores Beach in Lindenhurst, Valley Grove Beach in Eatons Neck, and Shoreham Shore Club Beach are closed to bathing due to the finding of bacteria at levels in excess of acceptable criteria.
According to Suffolk County Commissioner of Health Dr. Gregson Pigott, bathing in bacteria-contaminated water can result in gastrointestinal illness, as well as infections of the eyes, ears, nose, and throat.
The remaining beaches will reopen when further testing reveals that the bacteria have subsided to acceptable levels.
For the latest information on affected beaches, call the Bathing Beach HOTLINE at 631-852-5822 or contact the Department's Office of Ecology at 631-852-5760 during normal business hours.
Program information - https://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Health-Services/Environmental-Quality/Ecology/Beach-Monitoring-Program
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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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