Beaches Closed For Swimming 'Until Further Notice:' East Shore District Health Department

EAST HAVEN, CT — Thursday morning, the East Shore District Health Department said that until further notice, East Haven and Branford public beaches, as well as all shellfish beds, are closed to swimming.

In East Haven, the Town Beach is closed.

In Branford, Johnsons Beach, also known as Short Beach; Stony Creek Beach; and Branford Point Beach are all closed to swimming.

The Health District conducts weekly beach water testing throughout the summer months. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established bacterial standards for marine beaches to determine acceptable levels. If one sample exceeds the acceptable limit, a resample is taken to determine if the beach should be closed.

Following beach closure, additional sampling is conducted until acceptable limits are reached. ESHD implements pre-emptive beach closures based on rainfall. If rainfall within a 24-hour timeframe exceeds a certain limit, the beach will be closed and resampled until water quality is acceptable