Following Sunday's heavy rainfall, Suffolk County officials have placed 47 beaches – including five in the Smithtown area – under a beach advisory due to elevated levels of bacteria, and have cautioned residents to avoid bathing in these areas.
According to the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, these beaches are "heavily influenced by stormwater runoff from the surrounding watersheds and/or adjacent tributaries." Two successive tidal cycles will usually fix the problem by flushing the area, according to the county.
The local beaches listed are:
- Nissequogue Point Beach
- Long Beach
- Schubert Beach
- Callahan's Beach
- Short Beach
The advisory is set to expire at 6 a.m. Tuesday unless the Department of Health Services again finds elevated levels of bacteria.
For updated information, residents can call the Bathing Beach hotline at 852-5822, contact the Department's Office of Ecology at 631-852-5760 during normal business hours, or visit the website, and under “Our Mission,” “Our Environment,” on the home page, click “Beaches.”
