Water quality of Ocho Rios Bay and Dunn's River area beaches

ABSTRACT

This study looked at the quality of beaches in the Ocho Rios Bay and Dunn's River area of St. Ann. It was found that most of the beaches were within the acceptable standards set by USEPA/WHO, except for the Sailor's Hole Beach with consistently higher coliform count compared to USEPA standards. The Biological Oxygen Demand and Nitrate were normal for all beaches. Monitoring agencies like the NRCA, Ministry of Health and the National Water Commission continue to play a major role in sewage treatment and monitoring of coastal waters. This is reflected in this study where most beaches met the expectation of these agencies with the exception of Sailor's Hole Beach. However, more detailed studies and search for sources of pollution of the Sailor's Hole Beach, needs to be carried out especially for the two rivers - Sailor's Hole and Turtle Rivers which feed into this beach. Also continuous monitoring of the beaches is essential as monitoring was not consistent and potential sources of pollution could be missed if sustained supervision is unavailable. Shipping activities and enforcement of appropriate legislations were areas observed to be needing further attention.(Au)