Alaska News

Bacteria at Petersburg beach return to safe levels

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation has declared the waters of Petersburg's Sandy Beach safe Monday after identifying elevated levels of unhealthy bacteria there last week.

DEC said Friday that water samples collected on Sept. 11 and Sept. 16 contained high levels of fecal coliform bacteria, which can cause stomachaches and diarrhea, as well as ear, eye and skin infections. On Monday, the DEC said water tested Saturday met standards.

What specifically sparked the elevated levels of fecal coliform bacteria remained unknown Monday. The bacteria is commonly found in feces from warm-blooded animals including birds, marine mammals, humans and dogs.

Gretchen Pikul, with DEC's Division of Water, said "one possible source could be dog feces from the adjacent recreational area." Investigation into the cause, she said, continued.

The Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition, a nonprofit organization, will resume sampling at Sandy Beach in the spring and summer of 2016, DEC said.

Tegan Hanlon

Tegan Hanlon was a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News between 2013 and 2019. She now reports for Alaska Public Media.

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