Temporary “No Swimming” Signs Posted At Four Specific Locations In North Myrtle Beach Due To Ocean Water Sampling Results

Residents and visitors are advised to heed temporary “No Swimming” signs that are being posted today at 17th Avenue South, 9th Avenue South, 7th Avenue South and 3rd Avenue North on the oceanfront in North Myrtle Beach. People should not swim within 200 feet on either side of these temporary signs.

The “No Swimming” notices for these specific locations are being posted because regularly scheduled ocean water samples taken for the City by Coastal Carolina University’s Environmental Quality Lab on September 14, 2016 and received today showed the elevated presence of enterococci bacteria in the water at these specific locations.

Protocol requires that follow up samples be collected, and those samples were taken on September 15, 2016. If the new water samples are found to be within acceptable levels as established by SC DHEC (104 or lower), the public will be notified and the temporary signs will be removed. If the levels are found to not fall within acceptable limits, the signs will remain in place as further testing is accomplished and until the levels fall to within acceptable limits.

The September 14, 2016 readings are as follows:

• 17th Avenue South – 373
• 9th Avenue South – 2110
• 7th Avenue South – 703
• 3rd Avenue North – 256

All other sampling locations were found to be well under the 104 ceiling established by SC DHEC.