The current Sound Shore beach closings come as a number of interests collide: those of a healthy environment, and those of the activities of the population that environment supports.
Local Health Departments’ Beach Surveillance Programs protect the public from illnesses associated with swimming in contaminated waters.
Mamaroneck’s Harbor Island Beach remained closed as of Thursday, August 15. Earlier this week, beaches were reopened within Larchmont: Larchmont Manor Club and Larchmont Shore Club; Mamaroneck Harbor: including Harbor Island beach, Beach Point Club, Mamaroneck Beach and Yacht Club, Orienta Beach Club; and in New Rochelle: Davenport Club, Greentree Club and Surf Club. Because the readings can change quickly, be sure to call the beach before heading out.
But what exactly causes these closings?
There are 200 public and private beaches on the entire Sound — in the Bronx, Queens, Westchester, Connecticut, and Long Island — which local health departments monitor for Enterococci, fecal indicator bacteria that determines whether it is safe to swim, according to Save the Sound.
One cause for bacteria is raw sewage, seeping from cracks or breaks in underground sanitary sewer lines. But the bigger risk comes after heavy rains, when stormwater seeps into the pipes; with more volume than the systems are designed to handle, these sewer overflows send untreated wastewater into the environment, which eventually flows to the beaches and other parts of the Sound.
In the recent cases, stormwater also picked up pollutants from surfaces in urban areas, like oil from roads and parking lots, fertilizer, pesticides and other chemicals, animal waste (both domestic and wild), and trash. “Stormwater causes a multitude of problems because it can carry so many different things,” says Laura McMillan, Save the Sound’s director of marketing. “It’s a problem for beaches, near-shore waters, embayments, and open water alike.”
Save the Sound’s Director of Water Quality Peter Linderoth points out that “Stormwater, itself, is not the pollutant.” He explains: “I try to think of it as more of the vector for everything it picks up and washes into the water.”
At Harbor Island, in particular, which often gets near-failing grades, the issues seem to be not only stormwater pollution, but geography. Situated deep in Mamaroneck Harbor, scientists say there might be tidal restrictions where there isn’t enough exchange of cleaner water from the Sound. “It’s hard for us to put a direct thumb on the exact things happening at those beaches,” Linderoth says, “but we know that the Westchester coastline, as a whole, and the ground infrastructure, are having some challenges.”
Here is Save the Sound’s bacteria sampling data report for Summer 2024.
The following beaches were reopened by the county, as of August 13:
- Croton Point Beach Park (Croton-on-Hudson)
- Rye Town Park Beach (Rye)
- Rye Playland Beach (Rye)
- Larchmont Manor Park (Larchmont)
- Larchmont Shore Club (Larchmont)
- Beach Point Club (Mamaroneck)
- Orienta Beach Club (Mamaroneck)
- Coveleigh Club (Rye)
- Hudson Park East Beach (New Rochelle)
- Davenport Club (New Rochelle)
- Greentree Club (New Rochelle)
- Surf Club (New Rochelle)
