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Four beach sites red-flagged
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Posted on Aug 27 2004
The Division of Environmental Quality has raised the red flag on four beach sites in the CNMI—two on Saipan and two on Rota— after samples collected from these locations were found to contain excessive concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria.
On Saipan, the red flag was raised on Bird Island Beach and Jeffry’s Beach, while on Rota, it was hoisted at the West Harbor Marina and Swimming Hole.
DEQ said the collected samples on Saipan contained concentrations of enterococci bacteria that exceeded the CNMI Marine Water Quality Standards. The Rota samples were found to contain excessive concentrations of two fecal indicator bacteria—fecal coliform and enterococci.
“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,” the agency said.
To be on the safe side, DEQ gave these locations a red flag and advised the public not to fish or swim within 300 feet of these locations for the next 48 hours or until otherwise notified.
DEQ analyzed samples of marine recreational and storm drainage water from 12 locations on Saipan’s Coast and 12 locations on Rota Island.
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.
