John McCarthy
By JOHN McCARTHY / V.I. Free Press News Reporter
ST. CROIX — For the second consecutive week, the Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) has maintained its renewed momentum towards territory-wide accountability, executing robust water quality testing across St. Croix’s shorelines.
In its latest weekend beach advisory released Friday, July 10, environmental officials cleared 26 of the 28 monitored swimming sites across the territory. Only Chenay Bay on St. Croix and Brewers Bay on St. Thomas were flagged as unsafe due to elevated Enterococci bacteria levels.
The back-to-back testing cycle confirms that the territory is holding fast to its rigorous environmental benchmarks, ensuring local swimmers and visitors are armed with accurate data before stepping into the surf.
The Breakdown: Safe vs. Unsafe Sites
St. Croix Beaches Cleared for Swimming:
- Cane Bay, Grapetree Beach, Rainbow Beach, Prosperity Beach, Ha’Penny Beach, Shoy’s Beach, Cramers Park, New Ft. Louisa, Stony Ground, Dorsch Beach, Pelican Cove (Cormorant), Buccaneer Beach, Fredriksted Public Beach, Princess Condo Row, Gentle Winds, and Protestant Cay.
St. Thomas Beaches Cleared for Swimming:
- Secret Harbor, Lindbergh Bay, Bolongo Bay, Vessup Bay, Frenchman’s Bay, Magens Bay, Coki Point, Hull Bay, Sapphire Beach, and Bluebeards Beach.
⚠️ Unsafe (Exceeded Bacteria Thresholds):
- St. Croix: Chenay Bay
- St. Thomas: Brewers Bay
Note on Missing Data: Environmental officials noted that samples were not collected this week for Water Bay and Lindqvist Beach on St. Thomas, Honeymoon Beach on Water Island, and all beaches across St. John. The water quality at these specific locations remains unknown.
