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Red flag on Managaha, green flag for Tinian
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Posted on Jan 25 2006
The Division of Environmental Quality has raised the red flag on the north side of Managaha Island and advises the public not to fish or swim within 300 feet of these locations for the next 48 hours or until otherwise notified.
DEQ said samples collected from the location contained 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, meanwhile, gave Tinian’s recreational beaches and storm water drainages a green flag after none of the samples collected contained excessive concentration of fecal indicator bacteria nor did they exceed the CNMI Marine Water Quality Standards.
DEQ analyzed a total of 11 samples from the shore surrounding Managaha Island and analyzed samples of marine recreational and storm drainage water from 10 locations on Tinian this week. 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. (PR)
