The Suffolk County Department of Health Services today issued an advisory to residents to take precautions before recreating on the tidal portion of the Peconic River (east of Grangebel Park) this week due to the possible residual effects of inadequately treated wastewater discharged from the Riverhead sewage treatment plant. Suffolk County health officials learned of the discharge from sample results that were received Friday. Corrective actions were taken immediately, and the situation is improving. Suffolk County Health officials are working closely with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which has jurisdiction over the permitting and enforcement at the facility and with the management at the Riverhead plant.
Contact with waters in this tidal portion of the Peconic River should be avoided. 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.
Follow us
suffolkcountyny.gov
Facebook.com/SuffolkCountyHealthServices
Twitter.com/SuffolkCoHealth
To make sure that suffolkcountyny.gov emails are not filtered into your “junk” or “bulk” folder, please add suffolkcountyny.gov to your list of trusted senders.