Verona Beach Open But With E.coli Warning

The water quality at State Park beaches is sampled at least once a week for bacterial indicators of impaired water quality. All beaches are currently open, but Verona Beach has an E.coli warning.

New York State parks include 67 beaches for us to enjoy in the summer months. The designated swim areas are sampled at least once a week for bacterial indicators of impaired water quality. Freshwater samples are analyzed for Escherichia coli (E.coli). The parks.ny.gov website states that a result equal to or above 235 E.coli colonies/100 ml represents an exceedance of the state standard. Verona Beach test results are at 380, well above acceptable levels.

Central New York beaches were last tested on Tuesday, July 21, 2020. All beaches passed except for Verona Beach State Park. As you can see above, they are open with an advisory.

When a beach tests over the limit, it is immediately resampled. If other water quality factors are satisfactory at the time of resampling, the beach will remain open, and the closure decision will be deferred until the resample results are obtained. The beach will be closed following an exceedance if other water quality factors (such as current weather or beach water conditions) are not satisfactory or if the sample exceeds a second time.

The CDC says E. coli are bacteria found in the environment, foods, and intestines of people and animals. E. coli are a large and diverse group of bacteria. Although most strains of E. coli are harmless, others can make you sick. Some kinds of E. coli can cause diarrhea, while others cause urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia, and other illnesses.

For more information about water quality testing at New York State Park beaches, call or email the Environmental Management Bureau: (518) 474-0409
Water.Quality@parks.ny.gov

For the most up-to-date beach status, call the park office before visiting.