MEDFORD, Ore. — Oregon beachgoers could soon see a spike in health advisories warning against water contact.
State officials are proposing more stringent criteria for the level of bacteria that triggers a warning. The new rules would go into effect in 2017 to meet new federal water-safety standards.
Program coordinator Tara Chetock tells the Mail Tribune that the proposed standard could lead to about 50 percent more health advisories, depending on the amount of precipitation.
Chetock says bacteria most commonly reach beaches when summer rainfall washes pathogens into creeks and rivers that flow into the ocean.
