NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – After a mother’s viral Facebook post that her daughter may have fallen ill from bacteria in the water after visiting North Myrtle beach, officials have been working to investigate the water quality in the area.
The city has made numerous calls but has been unable to reach the parents to confirm the facts of the case and clarify where the child went swimming, said North Myrtle Beach spokesman Pat Dowling. Some accounts claim that that the girl swam in a pool and some accounts say she swam in the ocean.
The ocean is tested weekly for bacteria levels by the Coastal Carolina University’s marine science program. More than 300 samples have been tested so far this year, and only five results exceeded the water quality standard, according to Dowling. So far this summer, none of the water quality tests have found problems with water quality, Dowling added.
“Our continual testing of ocean water indicates that swimming in the ocean off North Myrtle Beach is safe,” Dowling wrote in a statement.
In addition to the city, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control also tests the ocean for bacteria. Since May 3, the department’s testing shows excellent water quality off the shores of North Myrtle Beach, according to Dowling’s statement.
You can view an interactive map and find detailed up-to-date water testing results on the DHEC’s website, http://gis.dhec.sc.gov/beachaccess/.
