Conimicut Point Beach Closed for Swimming, Briar Point Reopens

WARWICK, RI — The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) has advised closing Conimicut Point Beach to swimming due to high bacteria levels, the third such closure at the beach this year.

According to the RIDOH’s beach monitoring information posted to their website, the beach was closed due to high bacteria counts on June 20 for seven days; on June 29 for seven days and, most recently, the beach was closed to swimming July 11. The closure at Conimicut was announced Thursday.

The same day, RIDOH  re-opened Sandy Point Beach in Portsmouth, Warren Town Beach in Warren, Hope Community Service Pond in Scituate, and Briar Point Beach in Coventry for swimming because bacteria counts have returned to safe levels.

The health department routinely checks city and state beaches for high levels of bacteria in the water. Beach closures are announced with bacteria levels exceed more than 60 cfu/100 ml ((colony forming units per 100 milliliters) of Enterocci bacteria in saltwater and in freshwater. The beach’s status can be monitored at the DOH website.

Such beach closure announcements have become routine during summer months throughout the state.

RIDOH will continue to monitor and review beach water quality through Labor Day. The status of a beach may change as new data become available. The most up-to-date beach information is available through a recorded message on RIDOH’s beaches telephone line (401-222-2751). A list of closed beaches can also be accessed at health.ri.gov