The Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) announces that the Beach Water Quality Monitoring Program, which evaluates weekly water quality at popular swimming beaches throughout the territory by sampling for enterococci bacteria and turbidity, which is a measure of water clarity, advises the public of the following:
DPNR performed water quality analysis at 18 designated beaches throughout the territory during the week of July 22 – July 26, 2024. The following beaches meet water quality standards and are considered safe for swimming and fishing:
St. Thomas
Brewers Bay
Lindbergh Bay
Bluebeard’s Beach
Frenchman’s Bay
Hull Bay
Lindqvist Beach
Vessup Bay
Bolongo Bay
Secret Harbor
Magens Bay
Sapphire Beach
Coki Point
St. John
Oppenheimer Beach
Johnson Bay
Great Cruz Bay
Water Island
Honeymoon Beach
The following beaches do not meet water quality standards because they exceed the established enterococci bacteria threshold and, therefore, are not considered safe for swimming or fishing:
- Frank Bay on St. John
- Cruz Bay on St. John
Please note: Samples were not collected on St. Croix. Due to the presence of excessive sargassum, samples were not collected at the following beach:
- Water Bay on St. Thomas.
Therefore, the water quality at these beaches is unknown.
All persons should be aware that stormwater runoff may also contain contaminants or pollutants harmful to human health; therefore, they should avoid areas of stormwater runoff (i.e., guts, puddles and drainage basins) or any area that appears discolored or has foul odors. DPNR will continue to monitor impacted areas and waters.
For additional information regarding water quality, call the Division of Environmental Protection at 773-1082 on St. Croix or 774-3320 on St. Thomas.
