13 Suffolk beaches closed to swimming due to bacteria concerns

Thirteen Suffolk County beaches are closed Thursday, one day after health department officials extended an advisory against swimming at 61 beaches, county officials said.

In a statement Thursday, Dr. Gregson Pigott, the Suffolk County commissioner of health, said bathing in bacteria-contaminated water can result in gastrointestinal illness as well as infections of the eyes, ears, nose and throat.

The beach closings and swimming advisories were issued because of potential bacteria levels that could exceed state standards. The problem comes as a result of stormwater runoff from recent rainfall, the health department said.

Most of the beaches are located in areas heavily affected by runoff from surrounding watersheds or tributaries and may experience limited tidal flushing, the department said.

The advisory was lifted for a number of the 61 beaches at 5 a.m. Thursday.

The following beaches remained closed to all swimming Thursday:

• Fleets Cove Beach, Knollwood Beach and Huntington Beach Community Assoc. in Huntington
• Sound Beach POA East and Sound Beach POA West in Sound Beach
• Beech Road Beach, Broadway Beach, Friendship Drive Beach, Terraces on the Sound and Tides Property Owners Association Beach in Rocky Point
• Benjamin Beach, Bay Shore; Tanner Park Beach, Copiague; and, Ronkonkoma Beach in the Town of Islip

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.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”