Some beaches in Westchester County closed due to water quality issues after heavy rain

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. (PIX11) -- Some beaches in Westchester County were closed for a second day in a row Tuesday due to water quality issues following this week's storm.

Beachgoers at Mamaroneck's Harbor Island were having to admire the water from a distance. It was one of several beaches in Westchester County closed due to this week’s heavy rain and its impact on the water quality. It was a similar scene in New Rochelle, where the water was also off limits.

Westchester County’s health department has a surveillance program that orders beach closures to protect the public from illnesses associated with swimming in contaminated water. Bacteria is a recurring threat in the aftermath of heavy rain.

Keeping the water clean is not an easy task. Water samples taken from the Long Island Sound are tested every week at a laboratory run by Save the Sound. The environmental advocacy group tests water quality on a weekly basis and right after a storm event.

Lab manager Elena Colon said heavy rain increases the possible pollution of the water due to runoff and the aging infrastructure that relies on a combined sewage system.

"When you have too much rain, it can't handle the volume. So at that point it will divert. And you have raw untreated sewage just going straight into the water body," Colon said.

The sewage and storm water go through the same catch basin. On dry days or days with small amounts of rain, water is sent to a treatment plant before going back into the water body.

Experts say storm events are becoming stronger and more frequent.

"You have climate change. The magnitude of the rain events has increased. So that really makes a difference," Colon said.

Colon suggests infrastructure upgrades and investing in natural barriers like grass and shrubs that can absorb the water before it makes it to the shoreline.