Kettletown State Park Swimming Area Closed Tuesday

As a result of stormwater runoff from Sunday’s heavy rains, bacteria levels are elevated at several inland beaches.

Five beaches have been closed and are being retested, according to Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Communications Director Dennis Schain.

The beach and/or swimming areas will be reopened when tests show bacteria levels have come back down to required levels, he said.

Each of the five swimming areas is undergoing resampling Tuesday, June 7.

Closed

• Chatfield Hollow State Park in Killingworth
• Indian Well State Park in Shelton
• Kettletown State Park in Southbury
• Wadsworth Falls State Park in Middlefield
• Wharton Brook State Park in Wallingford

Samples are collected weekly by DEEP staff and are analyzed at the Department of Public Health Lab for the presence of certain indicator bacteria.

Indicator bacteria are not disease-causing pathogens, but are one of the tools used by public health and environmental protection authorities to evaluate the potential for contamination of water bodies, Schain noted.

Local health departments are responsible for sampling municipal beaches and swimming areas.

For additional information on closures of local swimming areas, contact your local public health agency.

Photo by AJC ajcann.wordpress.com, via flickr creative commons