Water advisories lifted at two popular Mississippi Coast beaches

Water advisories at two beaches in Gulfport and Biloxi have been lifted, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality said Thursday.

Water samples from the East Courthouse Road Beach in Gulfport and East Central Beach in Biloxi showed bacteria levels had returned to normal. The MDEQ issued warnings for the two beaches last Saturday after they found high levels of bacteria in the water.

The bacteria was likely Enterococcus, which is not harmful to humans but may indicate that more dangerous fecal contaminants are present in the water.

There are no other current water contact advisories at Mississippi Coast beaches, but the MDEQ still warns against swimming within 24 hours of significant rainfall.

This story was originally published June 8, 2023 at 1:30 PM.