Bacteria on Galveston beaches common after rain Sites with high levels dwindle from 17 to three

Fun things to do in Galveston (... besides go to the beach)

There are plenty of ways to take advantage of the nice weather in Galveston that don't include playing in the surf. Fun things to do in Galveston (... besides go to the beach)

There are plenty of ways to take advantage of the nice weather in Galveston that don't include playing in the surf. Photo: Steve Watkins Photo: Steve Watkins Image 1 of / 30 Caption Close Bacteria on Galveston beaches common after rain 1 / 30 Back to Gallery

GALVESTON – Beach-goers shouldn't be unduly alarmed by the high bacterial level warnings at 17 beach monitoring sites run by the Galveston County Health District, officials said Tuesday.

The 17 sites listed Monday had dwindled to three by Tuesday afternoon.

The advisories are almost inevitable after rain washes fecal matter from farm animals, pets and sewers into Galveston Bay, said Ronnie Schultz, the health district's director of environmental health programs.

"We've had beach advisories every summer since we've been doing the program," which began in 2003, Schultz said.

Signs are placed at beaches where the bacteria level is high, health district spokesman Scott Packard said. Healthy adults should have no qualms about going into the water, Packard said, but the elderly, people with weak immune systems or cuts, and parents with young children should go to one of the many other beaches with low or no recorded bacteria levels, he said.

The county monitors 51 sites on Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula and one on the Texas City Dike. The beach advisories typically last for two to five days, Packard said.