Improved water quality could mark end of Priest Point swim advisory

For the first time since 2004, the beaches at Priest Point Park in Olympia are undergoing tests for bacterial contamination — all in the name of public health and safety.

The Budd Inlet waters have been under a permanent swim advisory since 2004 because of the presence of fecal bacteria known as enterococcus, which can cause illness from exposure.

However, the swim advisory’s days may be numbered. Last spring, the nonprofit Surfrider Foundation’s Capitol-Olympia chapter launched the Blue Water Task Force in a partnership with Thurston County and the Department of Ecology.

The task force’s goal is to retest the beaches at Priest Point Park to determine whether they are safe for recreation — and eventually make the case for lifting the swim advisory.

Leading the collections at Priest Point Park is Sasha Medlen, executive director of the South Sound Estuary Association. Medlen gathered the last samples of the season Tuesday at two sites along East Bay. The water was captured in sterile bottles and packed in ice to keep the bacteria from growing.

The task force has collected water samples every other week since Memorial Day to provide data for the Department of Ecology’s BEACH program (which stands for beach environmental assessment, communication and health). The program monitors fecal bacteria levels at high-use beaches around the region.

For reasons still unknown, the high bacteria levels in 2004 were not seen during 2016 monitoring efforts, but more analysis is required, Medlen said.

Water samples are tested at an accredited lab — in this case by the Thurston County Public Health and Social Services Department. If results show a high level of contamination, the Department of Ecology will notify the public and recommend cleanup by the county and state health departments.

“It’s mostly making sure people know the quality of their water before they come play in it,” Medlen said.

This week’s test results show that the concentration of the fecal bacteria is low enough that the water can be considered safe for contact, said Julianne Ruffner, BEACH program specialist with the Department of Ecology. The department is asking Surfrider to sample the beach for a second time next year to ensure consistent results.

The main culprits for contamination are pet and animal waste, and garbage. The latter can attract birds or other animals that deposit their own feces in concentrated areas.

Although it’s safe to swim in the waters along Priest Point Park, the Department of Ecology recommends that people wash their hands after handling any water and shower after swimming.

The public is advised to avoid the Priest Point Park beaches for 24 to 48 hours after a heavy rainfall because the rain washes pollutants near the shore into the inlet.

“Bacteria is a fickle thing,” said Ruffner, adding that at Priest Point Park, “it’s OK to swim, but use caution.”

Jane Mountjoy-Venning, senior environmental health specialist with Thurston County, points to a number of causes behind the Priest Point Park swim advisory, such as the nearby LOTT wastewater treatment plant, poor circulation in Budd Inlet, and even lingering sediment pollution from the former Cascade Pole company.

She also clarified that “the swim advisory is not a swim prohibition.”

This story was originally published September 8, 2016 at 3:39 PM with the headline "Improved water quality could mark end of Priest Point swim advisory."