Protect Public Health in Mecox Bay

Campaign Victory! The Eastern Long Island Chapter has received permission from the Southampton Trustees to post Blue Water Task Force signs at two public entrances to Mecox Bay.

The signs will include QR codes that direct people to the chapter’s water quality test results in the bay and at the adjacent ocean beach — helping the public make informed decisions about where it is safe to enter the water and which areas to avoid in order to protect their health. Families with small children are often seen sitting near and playing in the shallow, warm waters of the bay. These signs will raise awareness of water quality conditions in both the bay and the ocean, allowing parents and other beachgoers to make informed decisions and enjoy a safe day at the beach.

The Eastern Long Island Blue Water Task Force has been regularly testing water quality in Mecox Bay—including the cut that runs between the bay to the ocean—and in the ocean surf at W. Scott Cameron Beach for over a decade. The ocean sampling site nearly always tests clean, but samples collected in Mecox Bay frequently reveal high levels of bacteria that exceed recreational water quality standards. In fact, Mecox Bay was included in the Surfrider Foundation’s national list of Priority Polluted Beaches in 2023.  
 
The media attention surrounding this polluted beach list prompted a collaboration between the Southampton Trustees and the Suffolk County Department of Health Services. Together, they supported posting these water quality signs to help protect public health at this popular beach and coastal waterway. Additionally, they granted the chapter permission to post similar signs at the entrances to Sagg Pond. Like Mecox Bay, Sagg Pond has been tested for nearly a decade by the Eastern Long Island Blue Water Task Force, with results frequently showing high levels of bacteria.