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Red flag up on seven beach sites
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Posted on Aug 19 2008
The Division of Environmental Quality has raised the red flag on five beaches on Saipan and two beaches on Tinian and is warning the public not to fish or swim within 300 feet of these locations for the next 48 hours or until otherwise notified.
On Saipan, the affected beaches are Jeffries Beach, Marine Beach, Tank Beach, Hidden Beach, and Unai Dangkulo. On Tinian, red flags are up at Leprosarium Beach I and the harbor.
DEQ said that samples collected from these locations were found to contain excessive concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria (enterococci) that exceeded the CNMI Marine Water Quality Standards. These bacteria can indicate the presence of human and animal waste in the water.
However, studies have shown that storm water runoff in tropical environments may also contain these bacteria from the natural environment, which may not be directly associated with public health concerns.
DEQ analyzed 12 samples of Saipan east and south recreational beaches this week. On Tinian, samples of marine recreational and storm drainage water were taken from 10 locations.
DEQ welcomes all inquiries as to the quality of the beach water. The public is encouraged to contact DEQ at 664-8500 with any questions concerning this matter. [B][I](DEQ)
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