It’s safe to go back in the water. That’s according to officials who lifted a public health advisory for Heceta Beach only 24 hours after imposing it yesterday. That’s when three separate water samples showed excessive levels of fecal enterococcus. Contact with contaminated water can cause gastroenteritis, skin rashes and respiratory illness. According to the Oregon Public Health Authority, samples taken yesterday showed the bacteria counts in the ocean were above the safe threshold and advised beach-goers to avoid coming in contact.
Retesting today reflected the levels had dropped.
State officials have used a federal Environmental Protection Agency grant to monitor popular Oregon beaches and make timely reports to the public about elevated levels of fecal bacteria.
