Bacterial Contamination Closes Beaches Across Northeast US

Beaches and swimming areas across the Northeastern U.S. and Indiana have been temporarily closed due to high bacteria levels, often resulting from heavy rain, stormwater runoff, and wastewater issues. In Indiana, Brookville Lake's Mounds State Recreation Area beach was closed after E. coli was detected, while other nearby beaches remain open. New Jersey officials closed Ocean Gate beach and issued advisories for 17 other Jersey Shore sites due to elevated Enterococcus bacteria. Connecticut closed several state park beaches, including Rocky Neck and Gardner Lake, as a precaution, with retesting underway. New York's Westchester and Nassau counties also closed beaches following runoff-related bacterial contamination after storms. In Vermont, Burlington closed several Lake Champlain beaches during emergency wastewater plant maintenance, with reopening contingent on further E. coli testing.