Nahant beach closed due to elevated bacteria level

NAHANT – An elevated level of bacteria forced Nahant town officials to close Tudor Beach and Tudor Wharf for swimming, according to Town Manager Andrew Bisignani.?There was a very mild elevation of bacteria,” said Bisignani. “All the other beaches in town were fine.”According to Susanne Condon, Director of the Bureau of Environmental Health, the maximum level of bacteria that can be in a water sample to close the beaches is 104 colony forming units (cfu) per 100 milliliters. The level at Tudor Beach Tuesday was 108 cfu. “It was just above the standard,” said Condon.Bisignani said the elevation was most likely caused by particles of pet waste or trash on the street that were picked up by rainwater runoff, which ran from the drains to Tudor Beach. “It?s not alarming but the town has been vigilant about testing the water at all the beaches,” he said. “If it was because of a broken sewer line or sewer discharge, we feel it would be much higher and it would be consistent. This is not consistent.”Assistant Town Accountant Kate Costin said the Department of Public Works takes weekly samples of Nahant?s five beaches and sends them to a lab for testing. The town is obligated to close the beach if levels are high, and cannot re-open until the water is retested and determined safe. Costin said the beaches are usually deemed safe by the next day.Town officials will receive re-test results from Tuesday?s closing today.Condon said swimming in water that contains high levels of bacteria most commonly causes gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea but is not limited to irritation of the ear, nose and throat, and skin rashes. Other recreation such as boating is safe as long as “you avoid as much contact with the water as much as you can – don?t touch your eyes and mouth.”Tudor Beach and Tudor Wharf were also closed for swimming last Tuesday, July 10. However, Condon said Tudor Beach “has a pretty good history,” only closing 10 times in the last 10 years.Condon said residents can decrease these closings even more by disposing of trash and pet waste properly. For more information, check out The Department of Public Health?s frequently asked questions on beach closings at http://mass.digitalhealthdepartment.com/public_21/faq.cfm.Kait Taylor can be reached at [email protected].