U.S. warns that some Bermuda beaches are polluted with sewage
By Gay Nagle Myers From Travel Weekly
The U.S. Consulate General in Bermuda issued an advisory on March 31, warning visitors about contaminated beaches along the island’s south coast.
The advisory was based on a 2013 study of the waters around Bermuda, which found that “the ongoing dumping of raw sewage off Bermuda’s south coast causes intermittent contamination of the waters along the south shore beaches, creating a public health hazard.”
The report also said that the government of Bermuda planned to take measures to reduce or treat the discharge, “but as of March 2014, the dumping continues unabated,” the consulate said.
The study was conducted by the University of Laval in Quebec; the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences; the Bermuda Departments of Conservation, Health and Environment; and the Bermuda Central Laboratory.
In 2013, as many as five of the south shore beaches were described as “unfit for recreational use” on different occasions based on water samples.
The consulate’s warning said that swimmers might want to consider Hepatitis A and typhoid shots before swimming in Bermuda’s waters.
The government was quick to respond. In a statement, Trevor Moniz, Bermuda’s minister of health and environment, reassured “that our beaches are safe for swimming and recreational use.”
Moniz said that periods of contamination involved limited areas, lasted for short periods and happened under specific weather conditions.
“Bathing in Bermuda’s water does not pose a health issue,” he said.
The Department of Health is alerted when wind and weather conditions combine to create contamination risks. Environmental staff are said to monitor Bermuda’s beaches on a regular basis and take water samples twice a week at the major beaches.
The government plans to spend more money on sewage treatment plants, according to Moniz.
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