SEAL ROCK — The Oregon Health Authority on Friday lifted a public health advisory for contact with ocean water at Seal Rock beach three days after water samples showed higher-than-normal levels of fecal bacteria in ocean waters.
Results from follow-up tests taken by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality showed lower bacteria levels, the OHA said in a news release Friday, and that contact with the ocean water no longer poses a higher-than-normal risk. Officials still recommend staying out of large pools on the beach that are frequented by birds, and runoff from those pools, because the water may contain increased bacteria from fecal matter.
The health warning is a regular summertime occurrence in that area because of overloaded or failing septic systems. High levels of fecal bacteria can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections, and other illnesses, the agency said in a news release.
