COLUMBIA – Some 400 signs are going up at bodies of water where fishing and swimming advisories exist, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported today.
“The signs are to increase awareness about eating the right types and safe amounts of fish or because water sampling has shown fecal coliform bacteria levels above approved limits in those waters,” said David Wilson, chief of DHEC’s Bureau of Water. “Each of the signs has specific advice for that water body.”
Wilson said the signs, costing about $50,000, will be installed by DHEC staff over the next six to eight weeks. The signs are printed in both English and Spanish.
“The fish consumption advisory signs have pictures of each species of fish included in the advisory,” he said. “The signs include advice to those most at risk including women who are pregnant, nursing, or in childbearing years, and children under the age of 14. These groups should not eat fish from any water bodies included in the advisory and should not eat any king mackerel, shark, swordfish or tilefish.”
Wilson said the advice about fish is based on eating one meal or eight ounces of uncooked fish, about the size of two decks of playing cards.
According to Wilson, DHEC has printed and mailed almost 60,000 Fish Consumption Advisory booklets to locations around the state including all OB-GYN offices; all county, state and federal health departments and clinics; the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program; all state parks and several fishing supply stores.
Wilson said the swimming advisory signs will help people decide where they may want to swim.
“The bacteria identified during testing is associated with human or animal waste but can be naturally occurring in water or soil,” Wilson said. “It can get into the water from leaking septic tanks, sewer overflows, and animal droppings from pets and wildlife. The bacteria generally cause no harm themselves. However, where the bacteria occur in large numbers, there is a greater chance that disease-causing germs will be there, too. Therefore, we suspect there is a greater possibility of getting sick from waters where there are higher amounts of the bacteria.”
Wilson said possible illnesses from swimming in natural swimming waters with high fecal coliform bacteria levels include:
- Gastroenteritis that can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, fever, headache and diarrhea
- Eye, ear, nose and throat infections
- More serious illnesses such as meningitis, encephalitis, or severe gastroenteritis are rare, but possible
“Children, pregnant women and people with weak immune systems have the greatest risk of getting sick from germs while swimming,” Wilson said. “People with cuts and scrapes may want to avoid swimming in natural waterbodies until their wound heals.
“Although you cannot protect yourself or others completely from a swimming illness, you can be aware of advisories and use caution swimming in those areas. It’s also helpful to avoid swimming soon after it rains. The rainwater runs over the ground and can carry disease-causing germs into the water.”
Wilson said shallow or low water levels, or waters with higher temperatures can be to unsafe swimming areas. Swimming in small shallow ponds or in other warm, stagnant freshwaters should be avoided.
More information about the swimming advisories, including a list of identified areas where the signs will be posted, is available at: http://www.scdhec.gov/advisory, or by calling 1-800-360-5655. Anyone with questions or comments about the fish consumption advisories can call the Fish Consumption Advisory Information line at 1-888-849-7241. Callers may also request a free booklet. Additional information, including a list of all water bodies under advisory, can be found on DHEC’s Web site at: http://www.scdhec.gov/fish.