Yesterday’s closure of Compo and Burying Hill Beaches — to swimmers, not everyone else — took Westporters by surprise.
It was the hottest day of the year. But there was no rain — the usual reason for Parks & Recreation Department action.
The culprit was impossible to see: bacteria.
Burying Hill Beach, yesterday. (Photo/Seth Schachter)
And the verdict came as a result of something else few bathers ever notice: weekly testing.
Every Monday, the Aspetuck Health District takes samples from Compo and Burying Hill. (But not Old Mill. It’s adjacent to Sherwood Island; as a state park, they do their own sampling.)
A courier drives the samples from Fairfield to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, in Hartford.
It takes a day to analyze them. The results are available late afternoon on Tuesday.
If a sample shows enterococci levels of 104 per 100 milliliters, Aspetuck Health District notifies Parks & Rec.
Enterococci (not actual size). Blame these guys for beach closures.
Affected beaches are then closed to swimming, until they’re re-tested. The courier for the samples is only available Mondays and Wednesdays. So if the second test of the week comes back positive on Thursday, the closure remains in effect until the next test result — late the following Tuesday.
There are many reasons for the presence of harmful bacteria, including rain, marine life or sewage.
The reason does not matter, though. Too much enterococci means “no swimming.”
Westport closes its beaches for another reason, without testing. Any time there is 1.5 inches of rain or more, the potential exists for sewage backup or runoff. Beaches are closed, as a precaution, for 24 hours.
Though swimming may be prohibited, staff remains at beaches, says Parks & Rec director Erik Barbieri. There are plenty of other activities — especially at Compo.
So how often does a high bacteria count lead to closures?
Aspetuck Health District director of health Luci Bango — who provided all this information — confesses, “I don’t know. One summer can be perfect, phenomenal. Another year, not.
“I don’t control the climate.”
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A lot of sewage in the sound as of late. Municipalities/plants across the state have leaked hundreds of thousands to millions of gallons of raw sewage into the sound. Disgusting. Literally. Meanwhile boats are required to pump out even a few gallons and there is tons of funding for that. Doesn’t make much sense. I don’t think the major leaks should be given a free pass. The sound was improving and to me the past year or two it seems to be going backwards.
Ironic that the previous post, Pic of the Day, is someone going fishing. Gross.
Okay… so what you’re saying is that on my 78th birthday , which is today, as a birthday present, all the Westport beaches are closed! Happy Birthday
happy birthday
Richard, Thank you for your birthday wishes!
Unacceptable for a health department to not find a way to expedite the results for 2 days, and unacceptable to allow “over building” so proximate to fragile coast lines without upgrading our sewer systems.
Thanks for this detailed information Dan!
Greta Thunberg has investigated and advises that too many people have been boycotting the $10mm outhouse on South beach and relieving themselves directly in the sound. “How DARE you!!!”
Greta is deeply embedded into your soul
I’m not allowed to return your fire. So enjoy yourself.
I wish you well.
When I was a lifeguard at Compo the water was tested at the Norwalk Health Dept. I remember driving a sample over there. I think the rules changed and now everyone has to use the state lab.
The town has the Nixie system for alerting residents when roads are closed, heavy traffic is expected, etc. Can’t this system be used when the beaches are closed for swimming? Yesterday, my son and I swam off paddleboards in the Saugatuck without knowing that there were high bacteria levels at Compo. And more than once, I’ve packed up a car to go to the beach to only find out on arrival that it was closed for swimming.
excellent point
PLEASE advise about Old Mill Beach. The parking attendant told me that Old Mill Beach was NOT closed. She also said that Burying Hill was not closed. I and some others went in the water at Old Mill Beach since there was no sign advising otherwise.
The status of the public beaches is published daily according to the Aspetuck Health District. https://aspetuckhd.org/
I do not see evidence of anyone testing the Saugatuck River for bacteria. Since the flow from the Westport Waste Water Treatment Plant is on the opposite bank from The Hamlet project and there are plenty of paddle boarders in the water frequently… well, one would think there should be some testing for swimability going on.
So in theory the beaches (swimming) could be closed unnecessarily for five days because “the courier is only available Monday and Wednesday” That’s insane.
And people could be swimming in crap for several days without knowing it for the same logistical reason.
RTM members, a suggestion which could raise your approval rating…..figure out how much it would cost for the town to buy a testing machine and have the town implement daily testing of all beaches in Westport. Or 20 Westporters could petition the RTM to approve an expenditure to do this. Yes, this will cost money. But I bet most Westporters would think it is a better use of money than the 79th downtown parking consultant and survey and charrette……
Research done. Who can make this happen within the next week?
Recreational bathing water quality is monitored by testing for two indicators of fecal contamination: E. coli and intestinal Enterococci. The compact XplOrer64 System and the CheckN’Safe™ Kits for Water Quality Testing range of reagents meet the need for both routine monitoring for contamination and managing crisis situations. The system provides reliable same-day results for determining whether the quality of water is acceptable for swimming or, if a beach or other area must be closed or can be reopened after closure. The method allows users to monitor the water quality continuously and in real time, up to 64 samples at a time.
https://www.bio-rad.com/en-us/product/xplorer64-system?ID=L820QYKG4
https://www.bio-rad.com/en-us/sku/3554721-checknsafe-enterococci-kit-60-tests?ID=3554721
Jen, get this done and you have several campaign slogans for your run for governor
“No More Crap in Our Water — Tooker Gets It Done.”
“Clean Beaches. Clear Leadership. Jen Tooker for Governor.”
“From Sewage to Solutions — Tooker Cleans Up Connecticut.”
“Saving Our Shores from Shit, One Beach at a Time.”
“Westport Deserves Better — and So Does Connecticut.”
“Flush the System — Elect Tooker.”
“No More Swimming in 💩 — Tooker for Governor.”
“Protecting What Matters — Our Water, Our Health, Our Future.”
“Leadership that Doesn’t Stink — Tooker for Governor.”
I’m available to help as your Campaing Manager….call me.
please become familiar with the Republican platform. They are easing restrictions on pollution control in lakes and streams. They are allowing more drilling in protected areas. They do not believe it eve global warming is a reality. A week or so Kennedy went swimming in a contaminated creek with sewage I believe. I might be wrong about that part. The environment and its stewardship is in peril. Good luck to the world and all of us.
Slow day at work I see…
Thanks for asking. I’m just back from a few days out of town and yesterday and today have been quite busy. I was able to take a 30 second diversion with Chatgpt to try and help out Jen. I appreciate your concern.
Does anyone else think the town should test the water at Compo at least daily? I’m assuming lifeguards at Longshore pool still do it multiple times a day. So why not Compo?
thanks Dan. I appreciate your explanation of the beach situation.
I was dismayed today to see several people wading on the shoreline of Compo. One was an adult. There were also two very young children (not together) each with apparently no adult supervision in sight. I have no problem with the adult wader. I assume she accepted the risk and accepted or flouted it, whatever. But I was concerned about the children.
https://aspetuckhd.org/ Dan gets props from the AHD!
“Sherwood Island State Park – 6/26/2025– The CT DEEP conducts weekly sampling at this State Regulated Park. For more information, including swimming area closures at Sherwood Island State Park, visit State Swimming Water Quality Report | Connecticut State Parks and Forests.”
“For more information regarding the water sampling and closure procedures, please read this article written by Dan Woog of the 06880 Blog No Swimming? Blame It On … | 06880”
Anyone who swims in LIS south of the Stonington should get their Hepatitis shot, PERIOD!