PORT ANGELES — Clallam County health officials reopened Hollywood Beach to swimming and wading Tuesday.
Health officials had closed the beach Thursday and posted three warning signs after tests revealed the bacteria level at 1,000 bacteria per 100 milliliters.
The high level of bacteria indicated possible human fecal matter contamination.
Test results from three water samples taken Monday showed conditions had improved, with an average of 34 enterococcus bacteria found per 100 milliliters, said Andy Brastad, county director of environmental health.
The standard for opening the beach is 104 bacteria, he said.
Brastad said Tuesday he still did not know the source of the bacteria.
“We have no idea where it’s coming from,” he said. “We may never know.”
The reopening was welcome news to Melissa Williams, Feiro Marine Life Center executive director.
“I’m happy to hear that,” she said Tuesday.
The high level of enterococcus bacteria level forced Williams to close three popular sea-creature touch tanks over the holiday weekend because they could not be cleaned.
“It’s very much a relief, and now we can clean our tanks again” and then reopen them, Williams said.
While there were 376 visitors to Feiro between Thursday and Monday, one group of 35 to 40 summer-camp children will have to reschedule their trip to the City Pier attraction.
“We had lower attendance than we anticipated, probably because of the touch-tank closure,” Williams said.
The signs that were posted urged beachgoers to avoid all contact with the water.
Brastad did not know how many people heeded the no-water-contact warning.
“We don’t police it; we just post it,” he said.
Where did it come from?
High enterococcus levels can occur during combined sewer overflow (CSO) events when joint flows of sewage and stormwater course through outfalls and into Port Angeles Harbor.
But Public Works and Utilities Director Craig Fulton ruled out that possibility.
“If there was a broken sewer line, tests would still be high in bacteria,” Fulton said Tuesday,
“There were no heavy rains, so it’s a mystery to us.”
Fulton and Brastad said high bacteria levels could have resulted from illegal dumping by a ship or smaller vessel near the beach.
Contact with water contaminated with fecal matter, especially through an opening in the skin, such as a cut, can cause skin rashes, gastroenteritis and upper respiratory infections.
In addition, swimming in water with high levels of enterococcus also increases chances of contracting diarrhea or vomiting if infected water is swallowed.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
