By Brian Broom
Correction:This story has been updated to reflect that water contact warnings are in place on Mississippi's mainland beaches. Barrier Island beaches are not included. We regret the error.
Water contact warnings (click here) are currently in place for all Mississippi mainland beaches due to a harmful algal bloom of blue-green algae, but at other times water contact warnings and advisories are issued for another reason — poop.
"It's Enterococcus," said Chris Wells, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Chief of Staff. "It's an indicator bacteria. If it's there it indicates fecal presence."
According to Environment America, an environmental protection group, sampling data from 4,523 beach sites in 29 coastal and Great Lakes states and Puerto Rico were submitted to the National Water Quality Monitoring Council. Of those, 2,620 sites indicated potentially unsafe levels of fecal contamination for swimming on at least one day, and 605 were potentially unsafe at least 25 percent of the days that sampling took place in 2018.
In Mississippi, Environment America's report states 21 of 21 beach sites sampled were potentially unsafe for at least one day in 2018. A sampling site at Gulfport East Beach in Harrison County was potentially unsafe for 44 days in 2018, more than any other site in the state.
Sewage overflows and breaks are potential sources while others are more natural and washed in by rain events.
"It can also be from birds and pets," Wells said. "It can be wildlife."
According to MDEQ, pathogens associated with this type of pollution can cause ear, eye, skin and respiratory infections, gastrointestinal illness, and more serious diseases such as meningitis and hepatitis....
