State’s health authority to monitor ocean water quality

An Oconeean looks forward to a one-week vacation getaway to Seabrook Isle, a private island just off the South Carolina coast.  And she promises that while basking in the sun, she’ll think about us landlubbers.  She and other South Carolina beachgoers this summer should be able to rely on government’s effort to monitor beach water for any kind of elevated bacteria.  According to South Carolina DHEC, every state with ocean-facing beaches performs beach water monitoring to help detect instances of elevated bacteria levels that have the potential to impact public health. DHEC’s Bryan Rabon says, “A swimming advisory doesn’t mean a beach is closed, it just means that particular area of ocean water should be avoided until the bacteria levels return to normal.  Most short-term swimming advisories last just a single day.”