Health risk shuts down village beach
The village beach on the Esopus Creek has been closed due to high levels of fecal contamination, village officials said Thursday.
Parks and Buildings Supervisor George Terpening said the beach was shut down at 2:35 p.m. Wednesday, just five minutes after the village was notified about the problem by the county health department.
Terpening said the health department inspects the beach at the base of Partition Street four times during the 10week swimming season, which runs from July 1 through Sept. 1.
Village of Saugerties Mayor Bill Murphy said the beach was closed because of high fecal bacteria levels caused by “extreme heat.” He said Saugerties was not alone and that “multiple beaches in New York state have been closed for the same reason.”
The Saugerties beach will not reopen until it can be retested and cleared by county health officials, Murphy said.
“The hope was to reopen by this weekend,” he said.
Terpening said he did not know when the water will be retested, and county health officials could not immediately be reached on Thursday.
Neither Terpening nor Murphy were certain of the source of the contamination.
Terpening said there are various potential sources along the creek between the Ashokan Reservoir and Hudson River, including farms and “old cottages” that were constructed before zoning regulations prohibited the discharge of sewage directly into the creek.
“Hot weather just doubles and triples [the problem] because it cooks it,” Terpening said. He said hot weather, humidity and a lack of rain all contribute to unhealthy conditions.
Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra said anyone swimming at the beach will be warned the water is unsafe.