FAIRHOPE, Ala. - The second public health advisory warning against swimming at the Fairhope public beach in as many weeks was lifted this afternoon.

The swimming advisory was issued Saturday, April 30, and followed an earlier advisory that persisted through the Earth Day weekend.

“Based on water samples collected from this location on Monday, swimming water quality is again good, with enterococci levels below the EPA threshold of 104 colonies per 100 milliliter,” the release state about the May 2 tests.

County health officials and Fairhope city staff would not speculate about the cause of the first advisory and have not yet been contacted about the second.

The Alabama Department of Public Health through the county health department, and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management operate the bacteriological water quality monitoring and notification program.

Samples are analyzed for enterococci bacteria. High counts indicate the possibility that other disease-causing germs could be present in the water, the release stated..

These indicator bacteria are inhabitants of the intestines of humans and other warm-blooded animals, according to the release.

For more information, visit ADEM’s website at www.adem.state.al.us. Click on “monitoring” at the top and then click on “Coastal Alabama Beach Monitoring.” Additional information is available on the EPA website entitled “Beach Watch” at www.epa.gov/ost/beaches.