Seven Quincy beaches with high bacteria counts closed to swimming

By Jessica Bartlett, Town Correspondent

Seven Quincy beaches have been closed due to high bacteria counts in the water.

Beaches are tested on a regular basis throughout the summer months in order to ensure the water is safe for swimming. Yet after recent rain, several beaches in the area contained bacteria counts much too high for safe swimming, the city of Quincy announced.

According to data from the Bureau of Environmental Health from data collected Wednesday, beaches on Delano Avenue, Orchard Street, and Rhoda Street, and four Wollaston beaches along Channing, Milton, and Sachem streets and Rice Road, are all closed pending further testing.

Typically, beaches are tested for bacteria named enterococci, an indicator of contamination. Although enterococci are found in intestines, they are typically found in fecal matter as well.

“High levels of enterococci at the beach indicate the waters may also contain other disease-causing microbes that are present in sewage but are more difficult to detect,” said the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s website.

As a result, beaches are closed if they that receive readings higher than 104 colony forming units per 100 milliliters of water.

At Delano Beach, testing was the highest it has been in the last five years, with 6,015 CFU/100ml.

Orchard had a reading of 135 CFU/100 ml, Rhoda had 171 CFU/100 ml.

Although the four beaches along Wollaston had lower counts, recent weather has prompted officials to close the beaches as a precautionary measure.

It is not clear when the beaches will be reopened. Officials from Quincy’s Board of Health were not immediately available for comment.

For up-to-date information regarding Wollaston Beach contact the DCR (Department of Conservation & Recreation, formerly the MDC) at (617) 626-4972.

For more information on other area beaches, click here.