The Westchester County Health Department has preemptively closed several beaches Wednesday, July 2, after heavy rainfall Tuesday evening may have caused bacteria contamination in the water.
The health department said 0.72 inches of rainfall in the last 24 hours may have caused bacterial contamination in the swimming water due to road runoff into drainage outfalls near the following locations:
New Rochelle
Mamaroneck
Rye
The health department says these beaches can reopen Thursday, July 3, if bacteria levels meet health code standards.
What causes elevated bacteria levels?
The source for an increase in bacteria is not always clear, but potential causes include:
What bacteria does New York test for?
Contributing: USA TODAY New York Connect Team’s Victoria E. Freile
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Several Westchester beaches closed after heavy rainfall causes bacterial contamination
Reporting by Alexandra Rivera, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
