New Yorkers should avoid swimming or wading at Coney Island Beach: The popular swimming spot is contaminated with sewage or storm runoff – think fecal bacteria – that could get beachgoers dangerously sick, according to an alert put out by the city.
City officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, the contaminated waters could be the result of combined sewer overflows – an unfortunate consequence of heavy rains – according to the city’s environmental protection department.
New York City has been experiencing periodic bouts of heavy rainfall and frequent storms that began earlier this month as summer nears an end. Typically, rain is collected by the sewer system and then treated. But after heavy rains, the city’s combined sewer system overflows and untreated wastewater spills into city waterways, such as Coney Island. The seepage can come days after a rain event.
On Wednesday morning, the city’s emergency notification system cautioned New Yorkers to stay out of the water at Coney Island. The alert, which can be seen on X, formerly known as Twitter, cited the beach’s “inadequate water quality.”
NYC Health’s beach monitoring and surveillance program’s automated text system confirmed that the water at the beach “is contaminated with sewage or storm runoff.” The conditions are especially risky for children, elderly people, and those who are pregnant or have chronic illness, the city said.
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