Number of Ocean State beach closures highest in nearly 20 years
By Rob Smith / ecoRI News staff
Burlingame Park on Watchaug Pond
There is still a month left of summer, and Rhode Island
has already seen the highest number of beach closures in nearly two decades.
According to data from the RI Health Department’s beach monitoring program, freshwater
and saltwater beaches around the state have been closed for a combined 284 days
since Memorial Day, the highest number of closures recorded since 2006.
Beaches are closed by order of DOH when they test
positive for elevated levels of enterococci bacteria; anything higher than the
sample standard of 60 colony forming units (CFU) per 100 milliliters of water
is closed until the tests produce a clean result again.
The bacteria represent a small but significant health
risk to swimmers. Swimming in contaminated water can cause gastroenteritis, an
inflammation of the stomach and intestines that can cause symptoms such as
vomiting, headaches, and fever. It can also result in ear, eye, and throat
infections, and in more serious cases, salmonella.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Three beaches on Watchaug Pond in Charlestown were closed for a total of 31 days so far this summer, according to RI Health Department data. The three beaches are the ones at the picnic area and campgrounds at Burlingame State Park and the Westerly Y's Camp Watchaug. On two of the 31 days, there was an overlap when both Burlingame beaches were closed. Otherwise, the closures were on separate occasions. These beaches account for more than 10% of the total days of beach closures in the state. - Will Collette
Historically, especially in Narragansett Bay, beach water
contamination was closely tied to rainfall and stormwater runoff. Simply put,
if a great amount of rain fell on Rhode Island during the summer it would often
lead to beach closures. Stormwater runoff, from roadways, parking lots, and
other impervious surfaces, wash contaminated water into the bay and other
waterbodies, elevating the level of enterococci.
The situation has improved greatly over the past 15
years, according to DOH, as municipalities around the state, and the
Narragansett Bay Commission’s combined sewer overflow abatement program, have
improved stormwater management up and down the bay. An increase in rainfall no
longer always means an increase in the number of beach closures.
And it shows in this year’s data. Warwick, a city that
has long struggled to
fully implement sewers in its coastal areas, was issued 14 closure orders by
DOH, around a third of all orders issued so far this year. But those closure
orders amount to less than 20% of the total closure days throughout the state.
It is the state’s inland, freshwater beaches that are
seeing some of the highest number of closure days this summer, according to DOH
data. South Kingstown’s Camp Hoffman takes the top prize, closed for a total of
27 days since Memorial Day across two separate closure orders for elevated
levels of enterococci.
Foster’s Ginny-B Campground saw the second-highest number
of beach closure days, racking up 19 closed days across two separate closure
orders.
(Technically, Georgiaville Pond Beach in Smithfield has
the greatest number of beach closure days at 41, but it’s just not for
enterococci concentrations. The DOH dashboard lists the beach as closed as of
July 12 because of cyanobacteria blooms,
which will likely keep it closed for the rest of the year.)
No matter the location of the waterway, the culprit in
Rhode Island stays the same. Jane Sawyer, an environmental scientist working in
the state Department of Environmental Management’s Division of Water Resources,
said that runoff is an issue in every city and town in Rhode Island.
“In a sustained downpour, everything that’s on a hard
surface, including waste and associated bacteria, gets swept up, carried away,
and emptied into local streams, ponds, rivers, Narragansett Bay, and ultimately
the ocean,” Sawyer said.
The temperatures may have been relatively mild in Rhode
Island this summer, but it sure has been wet. According to the National Weather
Service, by mid-August, Rhode Island had recorded 12.5 inches of precipitation
since June 1, 4 inches higher than the normal level expected.
Climate change’s impact on the state’s rainfall patterns
is expected to have an affect on stormwater runoff, according to Sawyer.
“With the more frequent and more intense thunderstorms
we’re experiencing, the volume of water overwhelms the drainage systems and can
move pollution to Rhode Island waterways,” she said.
And the state’s freshwater ponds may feel the brunt of
climate change. Saltwater beaches have the advantage of being on or near the
open ocean, where waves, winds, and currents can quickly flush out any
pollutants. Freshwater ponds, lacking those advantages, take far longer to
flush out bacteria.
DEM said it is progressively addressing bacteria sources
throughout the state by improving stormwater management and enforcing the
cesspool phaseout. The agency said it has also hired a scientist to work on
lake management and assist entities with water quality improvements and habitat
conditions.
The state is also getting an extra shot in the arm this
year. Earlier this month, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it was
awarding Rhode Island $228,000 in grants to support water quality monitoring
and public notification programs at local beaches.