The Rhode Island Department of Health announced Tuesday that Easton’s Beach in Newport has been cleared for swimming after bacteria levels returned to safe standards.
The popular Newport beach was closed to swimmers on Aug. 15 due to elevated bacteria counts but reopened Tuesday after a four-day closure, according to RIDOH officials.
The department monitors beach water quality by measuring concentrations of enterococcus bacteria. Swimming advisories are issued when bacteria levels exceed 60 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters of water in both saltwater and freshwater locations.
RIDOH will continue monitoring beach water quality through Labor Day weekend, with conditions subject to change as new data becomes available.
The most current beach information is available through RIDOH’s recorded message line at 401-222-2751. Updated closure data can also be accessed online through the department’s beach closure database.
Easton’s Beach joins several other Rhode Island beaches that have recently reopened after temporary closures this summer. Two other Newport beaches, Spouting Rock Beach Association and Gooseberry Beach, were also briefly closed last week but have since reopened.
The beach closures affect water activities only — the beach facilities themselves remain open to the public during advisories.
For the most up-to-date information on beach conditions across Rhode Island, residents can check RIDOH’s website or call the beaches information line.
