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Even as late summer turns to early fall, many Virginians will still be squeezing in a few more weeks of recreation at beaches, rivers and lakes across the commonwealth before the water cools.
Margaret Smigo, waterborne hazards program coordinator with the Virginia Department of Health, says the program’s busy season starts in May and doesn’t really wind down until October.
“We work to get our beach monitoring staff ready ahead of Memorial Day weekend,” Smigo says. “The districts are collecting samples weekly, and we’re reporting stuff for them out on Twitter and on our interactive beach monitoring map.”
Beach water samples are analyzed for enterococci bacteria. High levels of this bacteria could indicate an increased risk of gastrointestinal illness and other issues for swimmers.
Typically starting in July, another waterborne hazard arises in Virginia waters: harmful algae blooms. Smigo says that although algae are a natural part of the ecosystem, things can get out of balance and too much algae growth can have serious consequences.
While many people associate algae blooms with visible surface scum and a foul smell, it isn’t always obvious that a body of water is being impacted by a harmful bloom.
“A lot of times we can use our senses to determine whether we should stay out of the water; but, water can look totally clear and totally normal and still have harmful bacteria in it,” Smigo says. “We’re trying our best to get the word out that these things are there so people can avoid them and avoid exposing their children and their pets to them.”
The waterborne hazards program also responds to pollution events year-round, coordinating with agencies that deliver spill information and creating public health messaging to advise people on potential dangers.
Sometimes these events can attract significant media attention, such as a July sewage leak that led to a shutdown of recreational water activities on a stretch of the James River between Goochland County and Richmond.
“This year has seen more pollution response events—and issuing advisories for those situations—than we’ve had in years prior,” Smigo says.
With six years at the Virginia Department of Health and 15 years total as a VRS member, Smigo considers herself to be around the midpoint of her career. With a personal goal to retire at age 55, Smigo participates in the Commonwealth of Virginia 457 Deferred Compensation Plan, a supplemental VRS savings plan available to state employees and political subdivision and school division employees whose employers participate in the plan.
“I’m really thrilled at my younger self’s foresight to start putting away early,” Smigo says. “I was 25 or 26 when I became covered by VRS; I just started off with a really low amount and over time increased it from there.”
Smigo says in her work there is always planning and preparation for the worst-case scenario when handling waterborne hazard events—it’s better to be ready for a big event than to get caught off-guard. When preparing for the future, she says it’s important to take a similar approach. Save where you can now so you have what you need later.
“I can’t believe how fast the years have gone by, and now I can check my VRS balance and be amazed by how those small monetary contributions have blossomed.”
To learn more about the Virginia Department of Health’s Waterborne Hazards Control Programs, visit SwimHealthyVA.com.
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Gov. Ralph Northam recently announced the appointment of John M. Bennett to the VRS Board of Trustees. Bennett retired as vice president of finance at Virginia Commonwealth University and is a former secretary of finance for Virginia.
