Beaches
2025 Bathing Water Sampling Sites
The sampling sites in italics 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) Crescent Beach Boardwalk Beach at Cini Giants Neck Beach (Main Beach) Giants Neck Beach (West Beach) Giants Neck Beach (East Beach) Gorton Pond Hole-In-The-Wall Beach McCook Point (Main) Oak Grove Beach Old Black Point Beach Pine Grove Groton Ledyard New London Old Lyme Stonington Waterford |
Beach Water Results
August 28, 2025
There are currently no swimming advisories or closures in effect at any LLHD-monitored beaches.
Ledge Light Health District conducted routine bathing water sampling on Monday, August 25, 2025. The following areas exceeded the bacterial action level set by the State of Connecticut:
- Eastern Point Beach (West)
- Esker Point
- Noank Dock
- Shennecossett
These areas were posted with swimming advisories on Tuesday, August 26, 2025. Resamples were drawn on Wednesday, August 27. The resample results were within acceptable limits, and the advisories were lifted on Thursday, August 28.
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.
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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.