11 Saipan beach sites red-flagged
The Division of Environment Quality has red-flagged 11 beach sites on Saipan and is advising the public not to fish or swim within 300 feet of these locations for the next 48 hours or until otherwise notified.
The affected beaches are Wing Beach, DPW Channel Bridge, American Memorial Park, Hafadai Beach Hotel, south Hafadai drainage, Garapan Fishing Dock, Garapan Beach, Garapan Beach drainage, San Jose Beach, Chalan Kanoa District 2 drainage, and Chalan Piao Beach.
The division said that samples collected from these locations had 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. Water samples were taken from 38 locations on Saipan coast on Wednesday. For more information, contact DEQ at 664-8500. [I](DEQ)[/I]
