(DEQ) — The Division of Environmental Quality analyzed water samples collected from Saipan’s east and south recreational beaches this week.
Samples collected from Tank Beach and Obyan Beach contained excessive concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria — enterococci — that exceeded the CNMI’s Marine Water Quality Standards.
These bacteria can indicate the presence of human and animal waste in the water.
But studies have shown that storm water runoff in tropical environments may also contain these bacteria from the natural environment, which may not be directly associated with public health concerns.