Shoreline residents won’t be spending the holiday weekend on Milford’s Anchor Beach.
High bacteria levels have prompted officials to block off the sand and surf in the Woodmont section of Milford.
It’s the first time in three years the beach has been closed during the summer months, according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It was closed for a total of 15 days in 2011, but remained open in 2009 and 2010.
The Milford Health Department will retest the water Monday, so swimming is off-limits at Anchor Beach through the Fourth of July weekend.
According to the city's environmental health division, officials made the judgment call after sampling water on July 1 and July 2.
