OLCOTT, N.Y. — The Niagara County Department of Health has issued a beach advisory for Olcott Beach. This is the sixth beach advisory that has been issued for Olcott Beach this summer.
The health department issued the advisory Tuesday saying the water is not suitable for swimming "because of unsatisfactory bacteriological water quality." This comes five days after the beach reopened for recreational swimming.
According to the Niagara County Department of Health, the high bacteria count was found in a surveillance sampling that was taken on Monday. The health department says it will continue to closely monitor the situation and will reopen the beach for swimming when conditions return to a safe level.
Last week 2 On Your Side's Kelly Dudzik asked Paul Dicky, director of Environmental Health for the Niagara County Department of Health, what is likely causing this issue. Here's what he had to say:
"That is an excellent question. It's never 100% sure to say on any given day what is a source of the bacteria. In the past, we've done PCR DNA tests to try to determine what animal originated the E. coli bacteria. Mostly the results came back as a ruminant. (What does that mean?) A ruminant is an animal that grazes. So that could be a cow, sheep, goat, elk, deer, llama, something like that," said Dicky.
If you have additional questions or concerns regarding bathing beach water quality, please contact David Drust, PE, Principal Public Health Engineer at (716) 439-7451.
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