Bacteria clears at Delaware beach one day after it was detected

For the first time since the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) developed a beach program to monitor the water quality, extreme levels of bacteria was found.

It happened on Wednesday August 8th, not long after a WHYY crew followed DNREC officials around as they sampled beach water. According to DNREC spokeswoman Melanie Rapp, a recreational water quality sample at Rehoboth Avenue in Rehoboth Beach tested positive due to the Army Corps of Engineers cleaning of a storm water outfall pipe located at Rehoboth Avenue.  An advisory was immediately put in place but has since been lifted for Rehoboth Avenue.

The re-samples were taken Thursday (August 9, 2012) from Rehoboth Avenue and DNREC officials report that Rehoboth Beach met EPA’s recreational water quality criteria, just one day after bacteria was detected. 

Tune into “First” tonight at 5:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. to watch a full story on Delaware pristine beaches and how often they are monitored to make sure the general public is safe in the water.