Rehoboth swim advisory lifted

A swimming advisory for Rehoboth Beach has been lifted after bacteria levels decreased below the state and federal standard for concern.

Bacteria levels dropped to 10 colonies per 100 milliliters of water in the latest sample of water collected off the ocean in Rehoboth Beach Thursday.

The findings prompted state environmental officials to lift a swimming advisory for the ocean from Rehoboth Avenue south to Norfolk Street.

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The state's benchmark for issuing an advisory in ocean waters from a single test if 104 colonies per 100 milliliters of enteroccocus bacteria. The single sample from Rehoboth Beach collected on Wednesday was 135 colonies per 100 milliliters.

Debbie Rouse, the state shellfish and recreational waters program manager said it is likely that heavy rain, more than an inch fell in the area on Tuesday, caused the increase in bacteria levels when the single sample was collected Wednesday morning.

Stormwater in Rehoboth is discharged into Lewes & Rehoboth Canal, the lakes in the city or through networks of pipes that flow into the ocean.

That stormwater from streets, rooftops, parking lots, sidewalks and residential lawns can contain everything from bird and other animal waste to food and petroleum resident. Previous tests done by the city showed there were no sources of human contamination.

While the city is proposing a new ocean outfall to dispose of treated sewage waste, the ocean is not yet the discharge point. Treated wastewater goes into Lewes & Rehoboth Canal near the entrance to Rehoboth Bay.

Reach Molly Murray at (302) 463-3334 or mmurray@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @MollyMurraytnj.