Olcott, NY (WBEN) Those who like to swim while at the beach have found themselves out of luck more often than not this summer at Olcott Beach. Niagara County health officials there's no one reason why water quality levels have forced the beach to be closed off to swimmers.
Niagara County Health Director Dan Stapleton says the water is tested for bacteria levels each week. "We've had to close a number of times, the past few years have been been pretty good and and then the years before that we've had more closing," says Stapleton. He notes there have been more closures this year than in other summers.
Stapleton says there's no one magic bullet behind the bacteria. He says rain is a factor we can't control. "We haven't had regular rains, but we get when we do get it, it's been very heavy. So you'll get the runoff from that," explains Stapleton. He says there are also 2 piers on either side of the beach that keep water from circulating as well. There's also a natural issue. "We get some some underwater growth, seaweed, if you will, that also is a way of inhibits the degrading degradation of the bacteria,'" says Stapleton.
While you can't control rain, Stapleton says Niagara County leaders are looking at ways to control bacteria. He says he's looking at removing the seaweed that allows the bacteria to stagnate. "We're going as far as even talking about whether those piers can be modified in some way in order to remove them so that the water can be diluted better," says Stapleton. "We also have one of the docks there, it's no longer use the part of the pier but a lot of seagulls geese live on the on that dock that can increase the bacterial level as well."
If you're disappointed to hear Olcott Beach is closed to swimming, Stapleton says don't skip the trip to Olcott. "There are shops, there are restaurants, there's a lot of things to do other than just the beach," says Stapleton. That includes a water park children can use.
