As Louisiana heads into Memorial Day — the unofficial start of summer — 15 beaches in the state are under an advisory after health department officials detected higher than average levels of bacteria in the water. 

One beach, Lake Charles South Beach, has been fully closed to the public.

Each year between May and October, the Louisiana Department of Health Beach Monitoring Program conducts weekly water quality tests at 23 beaches along the Louisiana coast, evaluating whether the waters are up to Environmental Protection Agency standards based on a criteria table of pollutants.

Though beaches that are placed under an advisory are not fully closed off, areas where water is unsuitable are considered to be “swim at your own risk.” These advisories are not removed until bacteria samples meet the water quality criteria. 

The EPA provides grants to states, territories, tribes and local governments for developing, maintaining and implementing their beach monitoring and notification programs. The initiative was created as part of the federal Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act of 2000. 

The advisories are posted on the beaches when “indicator organism densities exceed the bacteriological criteria,” according to the LDH.

What is the LDH testing for?

The department tests water for enterococci bacteria, a pathogen that lives in warm-blooded animals’ intestinal tracts and primarily found in sewage pollution.

Though this bacteria is not usually considered harmful to humans, the EPA says their environmental presence can indicate the existence of other more harmful viruses, bacteria and protozoa. These can harm swimmers, causing infections, disease or rashes.

Even eating shellfish or fish caught in these waters can result in illness. 

Possible fecal contamination can come from leaking septic systems, excess sewage thrown from boats, stormwater runoff and other sources.

According to a 2022 study, over half of all beaches tested nationwide saw “at least one day on which fecal contamination reached potentially unsafe levels.” 

On the Gulf Coast, 84% of around 300 beaches tested positive for potentially unsafe levels of fecal bacteria in 2022. In Louisiana, 100% of the beaches tested had at least one day of potentially unsafe bacteria levels. 

Beach advisories

Before packing your beach bag, take a look at the list below to see the current status of each beach as of May 22:

Closed:

• Lake Charles South Beach

Under advisory:

• Constance Beach (southwest Louisiana)
• Cypremort Point State Park Beach (south of Lafayette)
• Elmer’s Island Beach (near Grand Isle)
• Fontainebleau State Park Beach (St. Tammany Parish)
• Gulf Breeze Beach (southwest Louisiana)
• Holly Beach Site #1 (southwest Louisiana)
• Holly Beach Site #2
• Holly Beach Site #3
• Holly Beach Site #4
• Holly Beach Site #5
• Holly Beach Site #6
• Little Florida Beach (southwest Louisiana )
• Long (Dung) Beach (southwest Louisiana)
• Martin (Mae’s) Beach (southwest Louisiana)
• Rutherford Beach (southwest Louisiana)

No advisory listed: 

• Grand Isle State Park Site #1
• Grand Isle State Park Site #2
• Grand Isle State Park Site #3
• Grand Isle State Park Site #4
• Grand Isle Beach Site #1
• Grand Isle Beach Site #2
• Grand Isle Beach Site #3
• Lake Charles North Beach