PORT ANGELES — Hollywood Beach is open again, as are the touch tanks at the Feiro Marine Life Center on City Pier.
Water samples taken Thursday and analyzed Friday revealed that enterococcus bacteria had fallen below the allowable threshold.
Enterococcus is found in the feces of warm-blooded creatures, including people.
The beach had been closed Thursday due to tests taken Wednesday, just over a month after it had been closed over the Fourth of July weekend.
At the Feiro center, whose tanks draw water from Port Angeles Harbor, director Melissa Williams shared the good news Friday with visitors.
“The 25 people in the facility immediately went over to get ‘hugged’ by some sea urchins,” she said.
In both last week’s and last month’s events, the origin of the bacteria was unknown.
“It’s one of those environmental mysteries,” said Carol Creasey, hydrogeologist with Clallam County Health and Human Services’ Environmental Health Section.
“I wish we did know what caused it.”
Craig Fulton, Port Angeles public works and utilities director, said the city was investigating possible pollution sources along Peabody Creek, which drains into Port Angeles Harbor near Hollywood Beach.
Enterococcus levels in tests taken Thursday were 10 bacteria per 100 milliliters of water at one sampling site at the beach and less than 10 bacteria per 100 milliliters of water at two other sites.
The levels Wednesday had been 689, 249 and 393 bacteria per 100 milliliters of water, respectively.
The Environmental Protection Agency and Washington BEACH program’s threshold level is an average of 276 bacteria per 100 of milliliters of water, above which a beach must be closed.
If levels subsequently fall below 104 bacteria per 100 milliliters of water, the beach may be reopened.
If levels fall between 104 and 276 bacteria per 100 milliliters of water, the beach is posted with a caution.
Contact with fecal-contaminated water — especially through an opening in the skin, such as a cut — can cause skin rashes, gastroenteritis and upper respiratory infections.
Swallowing water with high levels of enterococcus can cause diarrhea or vomiting.
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Reporter James Casey can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jcasey@peninsuladailynews.com.
