OLD LYME–On July 17, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) announced, “There are currently no swimming advisories or closures in effect at any LLHD-monitored beaches.”
The health district website explains the agency conducts weekly sampling from Memorial Day through Labor Day in Old Lyme as well as East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, New London, Stonington, and Waterford.
Water quality is measured by the presence of enterococcal organisms, which are a group of organisms that may indicate the presence of potentially harmful bacteria.
The State of Connecticut has issued water quality guidelines to determine if a bathing area needs to be resampled or posted with an advisory. A concentration of enterococcal organisms exceeding 104 colonies per 100 ml of marine water and 235 colonies per 100 ml of freshwater is considered unsatisfactory for bathing.
An advisory is triggered when two consecutive samples exceed the state threshold, according to the health district. The advisory is removed once levels are safe.