Swimming Advisory Issued for Pantego Creek, Belhaven, Bacteria Levels Exceed Standards
Summary
The N.C. Recreational Water Quality Program has issued a swimming advisory for Pantego Creek at the public access point at the intersection of East Main and Tooley Streets in Belhaven, Beaufort County. Water testing found enterococci bacteria at 54 per 100 milliliters, exceeding the state and federal standard of 35 per 100 milliliters. The advisory applies only to waters within 200 feet of the posted sign and will remain until bacteria levels decrease below standards.
“ATTENTION SWIMMING IN THIS AREA IS NOT RECOMMENDED. BACTERIA TESTING INDICATES LEVELS OF CONTAMINATION THAT MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH. THIS ADVISORY AFFECTS WATERS WITHIN 200' OF THIS SIGN.”
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NC DEQ has posted a swimming advisory at Pantego Creek in Belhaven, Beaufort County, after routine water quality testing detected enterococci bacteria at 54 per 100 milliliters of water, exceeding the state and EPA recreational water quality standard of 35 per 100 milliliters. The advisory applies only to waters within 200 feet of the posted sign at the East Main and Tooley Streets intersection and does not constitute a beach closing or apply to the entire Pantego Creek area. Public health authorities advise that swimmers face increased risk of gastrointestinal illness or skin infections in affected waters. State officials will continue monitoring the site and will remove the advisory sign when bacteria levels return to acceptable levels.
Affected parties, including local residents and visitors to the Pantego Creek public access point in Belhaven, should heed the advisory and avoid swimming or playing in waters within 200 feet of the posted sign until the advisory is lifted. The advisory does not require any compliance action from businesses or organizations but serves as informational guidance about temporary water quality conditions at the specific location.
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Apr 23, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
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MOREHEAD CITY Apr 23, 2026 An advisory against swimming was posted today at a sound-side site in Beaufort County, where state recreational water quality officials found bacteria levels in the water that exceed the state’s and Environmental Protection Agency’s recreational water quality standards.
The advisory is for an area at the public access to Pantego Creek at the intersection of East Main and Tooley Streets in Belhaven. Test results of water samples indicate a running monthly average of 54 enterococci per 100 milliliters of water. This exceeds the state and federal standards of a running monthly average of 35 enterococci per 100 milliliters, based on five samples taken within a 30-day period.
Enterococci, the bacteria group used for testing, is found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals. While it is not known to cause illness, scientific studies show that enterococci may indicate the presence of other disease-causing organisms. People swimming or playing in waters with bacteria levels higher than the standards have an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal illness or skin infections.
This advisory is not a beach closing, nor does the advisory affect the entire Pantego Creek area. Swimming advisories are for waters within 200 feet of the sign. The sign posted reads as follows:
ATTENTION
SWIMMING IN THIS AREA IS NOT RECOMMENDED. BACTERIA TESTING INDICATES
LEVELS OF CONTAMINATION THAT MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR
HEALTH. THIS ADVISORY AFFECTS WATERS WITHIN 200’ OF THIS SIGN.
OFFICE OF THE STATE HEALTH DIRECTOR
State officials will continue testing the site, and they will remove the sign and notify the public again when the bacteria levels decrease to levels below the standards.
Recreational water quality officials sample 224 sites throughout the coastal region, most of them on a weekly basis, from April to October. Testing continues on a reduced schedule during the rest of the year, when fewer people are in the water.
For more information on the N.C. Recreational Water Quality Program or to a view a map of testing sites, visit the program’s website, and follow the program’s social media account.
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Contact
Erin Bryan-Millush erin.bryan-millush@deq.nc.gov (252) 515-5613
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