The Chatham County Health Department has placed Tybee Island’s Polk Street Beach under advisory because of possible risk of illness associated with water contact at that location.
Routine water quality tests taken Tuesday at Polk Street Beach — the northernmost portion of Tybee near the mouth of the Savannah River from the end of the beach to the jetty — showed a high level of enterococci bacteria which increase the risk of gastrointestinal illness in swimmers, said Sally Silbermann, Coastal Healthy District spokeswoman.
Fish and other seafood caught from that area should be thoroughly washed with fresh water and thoroughly cooked before eating as should fish or seafood caught from any waters, Silbermann said.
The area will be retested Thursday and the advisory will be lifted when tests show the bacteria levels meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended standards.