Beaches

2026 Bathing Water Sampling Sites

The sampling sites in bold are EPA beach grant beaches (EPA monitors results from these beaches).

    • Areas highlighted in YELLOW are under an active swimming advisory
    • Areas highlighted in RED are currently CLOSED.

EAST LYME
Attawan Beach
Black Point Beach Club (Nehantic)
Black Point Beach Club (Osprey)
Boardwalk Beach at Cini
Crescent Beach
Giants Neck Beach (Main Beach)
Giants Neck Beach (West Beach)
Giants Neck Beach (East Beach)
Hole-In-The-Wall Beach
McCook Point (Main)
Oak Grove Beach
Old Black Point Beach
Pine Grove (Laurel St)
Pine Grove (South St)
Saunders Point (Oak St)

GROTON
East Shore (North)
East Shore (South)
Eastern Point Beach 
Esker Point
Jupiter Point
Mumford Cove
Noank Dock
Shennecossett
South Shore (West)
West Shore at Venetian

LEDYARD
Highland Park

NEW LONDON
Green Harbor Beach
Mitchell College
Ocean Beach Park 1
Ocean Beach Park 3

OLD LYME
Hawk’s Nest Beach
King’s Beach (Point O’ Woods)
Miami Beach
Old Colony Beach
Old Lyme Shores
Point O’ Woods (Main Beach)
Rogers Lake (Hains Park)
Roger’s Lake West Shores (ROW #6)
Roger’s Lake West Shores (ROW #13)
Soundview Beach
White Sands Beach

STONINGTON
Dubois Beach
Lords Point Beach
Lords Point (Open Way)
Little Poggy Bay
Masons Island Yacht Club
Wadawanuck Club Beach
Williams Beach

WATERFORD
Millstone Point Beach
Pleasure Beach
Waterford Beach East

Beach Water Results

July 17, 2026

There are currently no swimming advisories or closures in effect at any LLHD-monitored beaches. 

Rogers Lake (Hains Park) in Old Lyme showed sample results exceeding the bacterial action level set by the State of Connecticut for bacteria and was placed under advisory on July 14. Resample results showed elevated bacteria persisted leading to closure of Rogers Lake (Hains Park) on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Another resample was drawn. The results were within acceptable limits, and the closure was lifted today.

Please be aware that rain or other contamination events that occurred before the routine weekly sampling may have contributed to elevated bacterial counts. Areas with stormwater runoff (storm drainpipes or extensive impervious surfaces) or low water turnover (inland bathing areas) are particularly vulnerable to increased bacterial counts following rainfall. We recommend all individuals responsible for the bathing areas take these events into consideration.

What is a swimming advisory?

Swimming advisories do not automatically close beaches. It means that samples were drawn, and the results exceeded Connecticut’s established limit for bacteria. A swimming advisory alerts beachgoers that bacteria were recently found and that additional sample results are pending. In general, wading in the water is safe to do under a swimming advisory. Active swimming, including dunking your head underwater, is not recommended.

_________________________

Ledge Light Health District conducts weekly bathing water sampling from Memorial Day through Labor Day for the Towns and Cities of East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, New London, Old Lyme, Stonington, and Waterford.

Beach or bathing water quality is measured by the presence of enterococcal organisms, which are a group of organisms that may indicate the presence of potentially harmful bacteria. The State of Connecticut has issued guidelines for bathing water quality, which are used to determine if a bathing area needs to be resampled or posted with an advisory. A concentration of enterococcal organisms exceeding 104 colonies per 100 ml of marine water and 235 colonies per 100 ml of freshwater is considered unsatisfactory for bathing.

Ledge Light Health District wants to ensure that your day at the beach doesn’t result in illness related to poor water quality. At least once a week from mid-May to mid-September, our team collects water samples from different bathing areas throughout the District. The water samples are then sent to the State laboratory for analysis. If any samples exceed the State guidelines, we resample the water to verify the result. If the second test confirms the level, a bathing advisory is posted at that location. We will continue to monitor the site and remove the posting as soon as the levels are safe. If you have any additional questions concerning beaches or public bathing water, please contact Danielle Holmes, Senior Environmental Health Specialist.

Helpful Resources

  • The EPA Beach Monitoring and Notification website provides information on public health and environmental protection for beachgoers nationwide.
  • The CDC has information on staying safe and enjoying healthy water activities.
  • Visit the Sound Health Explorer website for water quality reports for beaches along Long Island Sound.