PORT ANGELES — Hollywood Beach reopened Thursday afternoon after being shut to swimmers and waders due to high levels of enterococcus bacteria.
The beach was closed after results of tests Tuesday revealed an average 1,122 bacteria per 100 milliliters of water off the beach near the foot of Lincoln Street downtown. Enterococcus is found in the feces of warm-blooded animals.
The Environmental Protection Agency and Washington BEACH program’s threshold level for automatic closure is an average of 276 bacteria per 100 of milliliters of water.
Release into harbor
The cause for the closure was uncertain, although some of the pollution may have come from a 6,000-gallon release of stormwater and from Combined Sewer Outflow No. 7 near the Black Ball Ferry Line terminal early Tuesday morning.
The release “was actually a pretty small one” compared with winter-storm releases of 1 million gallons or more, according to Craig Fulton, public works director for the city of Port Angeles.
“Combined sewer overflows are fairly regular whenever we get significant rains,” Fulton said.
Almost all of Tuesday’s overflow, he said, was stormwater, not sewage.
Results fine Thursday
Results from tests taken Thursday morning “are fine,” said Carol Creasey, hydrogeologist with Clallam County Health & Human Services’ Environmental Health Section.
Beaches may be reopened if enterococcus levels fall below 104 bacteria per 100 milliliters of water.
Touch tanks at the Feiro Marine Life Center on City Pier also were reopened Thursday.
They had been shut because contact with contaminated water can produce gastroenteritis, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections and other ailments.
Construction
Overflows of stormwater and sewage are the target of sewer line and pumping station construction along Front Street.
The project, which started in February, is slated for completion in the summer of 2016.
That will allow Port Angeles to meet a state Department of Ecology order to stop sending sewage into the harbor during rainstorms.
The cost of the work is expected to total nearly $40 million, partly paid for by $18 to $20 monthly surcharges to residents’ utility bills.
This week’s closure was the third this summer at Hollywood Beach due to enterococcus contamination.
It was shut once over the Fourth of July weekend and again Aug. 6. No cause was determined for the rise in bacterial levels.
High enterococcus counts, also unexplained, closed Cline Spit County Park beach Aug. 14-21.
Besides the combined sewer outflows, Port Angeles Harbor receives water from Valley and Tumwater creeks, the harborfront log yards and KPly mill site, the Boat Haven marina and possible discharges from ships.
Cline Spit receives drainage from nearby farms and homes served by septic systems.
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Reporter James Casey can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jcasey@peninsuladailynews.com.
