12 North Carolina river sites fail fecal bacteria testing this week, group says
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Amid runoff from various storms in North Carolina this week, a dozen river swimming sites failed fecal bacteria testing, according to a group that samples more than 50 areas across the state each week.
Sound Rivers' weekly Swim Guide report, released on Friday, found three sites in the Upper Neuse and nine sites in Tar-Pamlico and Lower Neuse watersheds that failed testing.
'These results are likely due to the rain we've seen lately, and the fact that all the bad stuff on land has gotten washed into the waterways,' Clay Barber, Sound Rivers' program director, said in a news release.
Sound Rivers' staff test samples for E. coli in fresh water and enterococci in salt water and pass/fail results are released to the public, providing a quick way to check where it's safe to swim.
A failing grade means elevated levels of fecal bacteria, which can increase the risk of gastrointestinal illness and skin infections for pets and humans, officials said.
In the Upper Neuse area, the group said three sites failed this week: Clayton River Walk, Neuse Golf Club and Smithfield Town Commons.
In the Tar-Pamlico watershed, just two sites failed this week. The failing sites were Port Terminal near Greenville and Yankee Hall Road – Pactolus.
The vast majority of sites that failed this week were in the Lower Neuse watershed:
Highway 11 boat ramp near Kinston
Oak Bluff Road near Kinston
Maple Cypress Boat Ramp
Pollocksville
Slocum Creek in Havelock
Midyette Street in Oriental
John Bond Beach in Oriental
The Swim Guide is a water-quality program conducted locally by Sound Rivers, an environmental nonprofit based in Raleigh, New Bern and Washington, whose mission is to keep North Carolina's waterways fishable, swimmable and drinkable.
This summer marks the eighth year of Swim Guide in the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico watersheds.
The sites are tested weekly from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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