Buckroe Beach passes Health Department check except near pier construction

By the City of Hampton, VA

June 5, 2020 – The main part of Buckroe Beach passed the Health Department bacteria checks this week. However, the southern area near the pier has higher than recommended levels of bacteria.

Almost all of that portion is already closed to swimmers while the James T. Wilson Fishing Pier is repaired. The Health Department has issued an advisory for that area during the construction, which causes higher bacteria levels due to sand disturbance.  

That advisory will remain during the construction and that part of the water won’t be tested again until construction is completed.  The pier was damaged in November after a barge broke loose and drifted during a storm, eventually hitting and destroying part of the pier. Repairs are expected to be completed sometime in August.

All of Hampton’s other beaches — the rest of Buckroe Beach, Fort Monroe’s Outlook Beach and Salt Ponds Beach — had acceptable levels of bacteria in this week’s testing. An advisory doesn’t close the water to swimmers — it just warns you that you face elevated risk. The risk is especially elevated for children, who are more likely to swallow the water, or those who have open wounds or weakened immune systems.

Water samples are sent to labs to detect Enterococci in salt water. While these organisms themselves do not cause illness, their presence is an indicator that there is fecal contamination and other harder-to-detect bacteria are present. Environmental Protection Agency standard that sets the unacceptable level at the point where people show a greater incidence of illness.

To read more about the water testing program, go to https://hampton.gov/3520/Beach-water-testing