Untitled Document

• 2009 Beach Closings Due to High Bacteria Levels •

• FRI., JUNE 5th & SAT., JUNE 6th • RE-OPENED - SUNDAY JUNE 7th •

• SAT., JUNE 20th & SUN., JUNE 21st • RE-OPENED - MONDAY JUNE 22nd •

• WEDNESDAY, JULY 8th • RE-OPENED - THURSDAY, JULY 9th •

• FRIDAY, JULY 24th • RE-OPENED - SATURDAY, JULY 25th •

• MONDAY, JULY 27th • RE-OPENED - TUESDAY, JULY 28th •

• MONDAY, AUGUST 1st • RE-OPENED - TUESDAY, AUGUST 2nd •

• SATURDAY, AUGUST 22nd • RE-OPENED - SUNDAY, AUGUST 23rd •

• SATURDAY, AUGUST 29th • RE-OPENED - SUNDAY, AUGUST 30th •

Hewlett Point Beach is located in Bay Park at the end of Hewlett Point Avenue. The park is operated by the Town of Hempstead and open to all Town of Hempstead residents from Memorial Day to Labor Day each summer. From time to time, mostly during heavy rainfall, the Nassau County Department of Health closes the beach as a precautionary measure due to elevated bacteria levels.

The blame is put on "Storm Water Run-off". While it is true that storm water run-off does add to the elevated bacteria levels in the bay due to all the lawn pesticides and chemicals, street debris, oils, etc. that get flushed down into the sewers that empty into the bay, it is really just half the story.

The outflow pipes from storm drains are separate from sewage pipes, but both empty into the bay. During heavy rainstorms, the storm drains are inundated with water, causing a torrent of rushing water, pesticides, debris, etc. to forcefully spew through the pipes until they reach the bay and empty out.

The storm drain effluent, which is toxic in its own right, comes rushing out into the bay then mixes with and churns up all the nitrates, choliform, poop molecules and sediment from the sewage treatment plant that's already being pumped into our bay on a daily basis. Mix these two outflows together in the same big mixing bowl (our bay) and you've got the makings of a perfect human health hazard.

According to data in the county's consolidation feasibility study, the beach was closed due to high bacteria levels seven times in 2004, six times in 2005, six times in 2006, a whopping 15 times during the summer of 2007 and six times again in 2008.

Last one in is a rotten egg!

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This is an unaltered photo of Hewlett Point Beach taken June 7, 2009

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