Swim advisory for Buckroe Beach in Hampton lifted

The swim advisory issued for Buckroe South and Buckroe Middle beaches in Hampton were lifted within about six hours of being issued on Thursday.

The advisory affected areas at the end of South Resort Road by the James T. Wilson Fishing Pier and the Buckroe Beach Park and pavilion. Samples collected on July 23, 2024, by the Hampton Health District showed that bacteria levels in the water exceeded the state water quality standard.

The Virginia Department of Health measures public waters regularly for enterococci bacteria during the warmer months. Enterococci bacteria are a group of organisms used to measure fecal contamination in recreational waters. While they do not cause illness, the health department reports that their presence is “closely correlated to the presence of other disease-causing organisms.”

People swimming or playing in waters with higher bacteria levels have an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal illness, often caused by swallowing the water.

Signs were posted in the affected area

Gavin Stone contributed to this report.

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com