Two Mississippi Coast beaches are under bacteria advisories. See the list

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality issued water contact advisories this week after tests found high bacteria levels at two beaches.

The bacteria are common across the Mississippi Coast and returned this week to Biloxi East Central Beach, which extends from St. Peter Street to Dukate Street. The state also issued a water contact advisory for Gulfport West Beach, between Marie and Camp avenues.

The beaches are still open. But the Department of Environmental Quality issues advisories as a precaution to warn beachgoers that swimming could increase the risk of illness. The advisories are often triggered by faulty septic tanks or sewers that leak through the stormwater system and into the Mississippi Sound.

The Department of Environmental Quality tests every beach weekly for the bacteria, which are called Enterococcus and can indicate the possibility that sewage is contaminating the water. Scientists briefly stopped testing beaches after the discovery of mold last month at the Bolton Building, where the program’s laboratory is based, forced employees to find temporary offices. But the program started testing beaches again earlier this month.

The agency’s tests do not track a separate and rare bacterium called Vibrio, which has spiked this year across the region. Vibrio naturally lives in coastal waters and can cause serious infections. Enterococcus is not usually harmful to humans, but scientists use it to indicate possible pollution.

Scientists at the Department of Environmental Quality test beaches under advisory every day until Enterococcus bacteria levels return to normal. The agency also has a standing advisory against swimming after heavy rain because runoff from drains south of the railroad tracks inevitably washes pollutants into the waves.

Tests this week showed bacteria levels are normal at all other beaches across the Mississippi Coast.

Here is the full list of advisories in 2025:

Sept. 19: The state issued an advisory for Biloxi East Central Beach.

Sept. 18: The state issued an advisory for Gulfport West Beach.

Aug. 9: The state issued an advisory for Biloxi East Central Beach. The advisory lifted Aug. 13.

Aug. 7: The state issued an advisory for Gulfport Harbor Beach. The advisory lifted Aug. 14.

July 31: The state issued an advisory for Long Beach. The advisory lifted Aug. 13.

July 10: The state issued an advisory for Pass Christian Central Beach. The advisory lifted July 15.

June 27: The state issued advisories for Biloxi West Central Beach and Biloxi East Central Beach. The advisories lifted July 5.

June 14: The state issued advisories for Bay St. Louis Beach and Gulfport Harbor Beach. The advisory in Gulfport lifted June 19. The advisory in Bay St. Louis lifted June 20.

June 6: The MDEQ issued an advisory for Biloxi West Central Beach. The advisory lifted June 14.

May 15: The state issued advisories for Pass Christian Central Beach and Long Beach Beach. The advisories lifted May 21.

May 6: The state issued advisories for Pass Christian West Beach and Edgewater Beach. The advisories lifted May 14.

April 18: The state issued an advisory for Gulfport East Beach. That advisory lifted April 23.

April 17: The state issued an advisory for Pass Christian West Beach, Gulfport Harbor Beach and Gulfport Central Beach. The advisory for Gulfport Central Beach lifted April 23. The Pass Christian West Beach advisory lifted April 24. The advisory for Gulfport Harbor Beach lifted May 21.

March 20: The state issued advisories for Pass Christian East Beach and Gulfport West Beach. The state lifted the advisory for Pass Christian East Beach on May 7. The advisory at Gulfport West Beach lifted May 14.

March 13: The state issued an advisory for Bay St. Louis Beach and Pass Christian Central Beach. A day later, it issued an advisory for Biloxi East Central Beach. Mississippi lifted the advisories at Bay St. Louis Beach and Biloxi East Central Beach on March 19. The advisory for Pass Christian Central Beach lifted April 23.

Feb. 13: Mississippi issued an advisory in Long Beach, Pass Christian Central Beach and Bay St. Louis Beach. The advisories in Pass Christian and Bay St. Louis lifted Feb. 26. The advisory in Long Beach lifted May 7.

Feb. 6: The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality issued a water contact advisory at Gulfport West Beach. The advisory lifted Feb. 12. The agency also issued an advisory at Waveland Beach, which lifted Feb. 26.

Jan. 17: The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality issued an advisory at Front Beach in Ocean Springs. The advisory ended Jan. 29.

This story was originally published September 19, 2025 at 1:17 PM.