Sound Swim Alert: Beaches are open across the Western Long Island Sound in Greenwich, Westchester, and Nassau County. However, the Nassau County Department of Health is currently reporting that Biltmore Beach Club in Massapequa is closed due to elevated bacteria levels.
All other Long Island Sound beaches operating for the 2015 season in Westchester, Nassau, and Greenwich remain open, and it is still shaping up to be a fantastic day to get outside and enjoy the water everywhere else. Please call the Nassau Department of Health (516-227-9700) for more up to date information about swimming conditions.
We started Sound Swim Alerts to give Western Long Island Sound residents an easy way to find out if their favorite beaches are open and to call attention to the frequent beaches closures caused by local water pollution.
Why Do Our Beaches Close?
Beaches are closed to protect the public from polluted water that can make people sick. The most common cause of illness from swimming is high levels of pathogenic bacteria in the water. Pathogenic (“disease-causing”) bacteria comes from human and animal waste that can reach the water from a number of sources including – leaks from sewage pipes, leaking septic systems and cesspools, polluted stormwater that drains to beaches and large local wildlife populations.
Because rain is a known trigger of bacterial contamination at some beaches, those beaches are typically closed for a specified time after significant rain fall. This is a necessary practice because water quality tests take 24 hours to process, so if we waited for test results we would be closing beaches the day after they are unsafe for swimming.
When it rains Westchester County Health Department issues beach closure advisories to 10 beaches and Nassau County Health Department issues beach closure advisories to 14 beaches.
Stay Informed & Get Involved!
Whenever beaches are closed, whether it’s a weekend or a weekday, we will post a Sound Swim Alert and send an email alert as well.
Save the Sound is not simply calling attention to the problem, we are also working to solve it! Please join our mailing list or to improve the health of Long Island Sound and ensure safe swimming for all!