As 2 Rhode Island Beaches Reopen, 5 More Close

NEWPORT, RI — Two more Rhode Island beaches were reopened to the public Thursday night, just as five more were declared unsafe for swimming. The Rhode Island Department of Health said the amount of bacteria in the water at Scarborough Beach South in Narragansett and Barrington Town Beach returned to safe levels.

The following beaches were closed Thursday night:

• Fort Adams Beach, Newport
• Third Beach, Middletown
• Peabody’s Beach, Middletown
• Sandy Point Beach, Portsmouth
• Dunes Park Beach, Westerly

As of Friday, 10 beaches across Rhode Island were closed heading into the weekend.

Three beaches reopened on Thursday: Easton's Beach in Newport, Scarborough Beach South and Barrington Town Beach. On Wednesday, eight beaches were closed, with the spike in bacteria levels blamed on two days of nonstop rain this week following even more heavy rain earlier in the month. Four of those beaches remained closed. They are:

• North Kingstown Town Beach
• Saunderstown Yacht Club
• Camp Grosvenor, Saunderstown
• Bonnet Shores, Narragansett
• Gooseberry Beach, Newport

For the most up-to-date beach closure information, call the health department’s prerecorded beach line at 401-222-2751 or visit their beach closures website.