Visit our shellfish advisories page for additional information on shellfish marine biotoxin and long-term pollution closures, and additional information on shellfish safety.

During a warning or a no-contact advisory, the public is advised to avoid contact with the water in the affected area. This means we recommend against swimming, wading, or types of water recreation or play where water could be swallowed or get in the mouth, nose, or eyes. People should also avoid direct skin contact if possible, and immediately wash with soap and water if they have exposure to the water.  

Yes, it is possible, but it's not a huge risk unless you ingest water or eat shellfish collected in the impacted area. People should avoid direct skin contact if possible, and immediately wash with soap and water if they have exposure to the water.

It is possible since animals can ingest water while swimming.

A warning or an advisory is a recommendation from the Health District to avoid swallowing or having direct contact with the water since contaminants may be present.

The further you are from the affected area, the less risk you will have of coming into contact with what is in the water. The type of activity you do in the water will also increase or decrease your chance of touching or swallowing the affected water, depending on what the activity is.

You should wash your hands with soap and water and rinse your boat or kayak off.

No. After a sewage spill or combined sewer overflow you should not collect or consume shellfish from any part of the affected area. Additionally, crabbing or fishing activities in the affected area can increase the risk of exposure to pathogens.

No. A warning or advisory is a recommendation. We recommend people avoid the water because there is a risk of getting sick, but we do not enforce the recommendation.

Unless you are very close to the location of the source of a sewage spill (such as a broken pipe), it is very unlikely you are smelling the sewer spill. The sewer-like smell that sometimes occurs during low tide, especially on hot summer days, is the bacteria decomposing seaweed on the shoreline.

The duration of the advisory is determined by the type of contamination in the water. Subscribe to our water contact advisories to stay up to date.