Update: East Courthouse Road Beach gets a clean bill of health after advisory

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality on Wednesday, March 4, gave the all-clear after issuing a water contact advisory at East Courthouse Road Beach.

The bacteria are common across the Mississippi Coast and returned this week to East Courthouse Road Beach, which extends from Courthouse Road to Tegarden Road in Gulfport. This advisory came after a recent advisory was issued against six Mississippi Coast beaches.

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.

The agency’s tests do not track a separate and rare bacterium called Vibrio, which has spiked in 2025 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.

This story was originally published March 2, 2026 at 10:59 AM.