North Carolina Administrative Code › Title 15A - Environmental Quality › Chapter 18 - ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH › Subchapter A - SANITATION › Section .3400 - COASTAL RECREATIONAL WATERS MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND NOTIFICATION › Section 18A .3401 - DEFINITIONS

Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 2, July 15, 2024
The following definitions shall apply to this
					 Section:
(1) "Division" means the
				  Division of Marine Fisheries or its authorized agent.
(2) "Enterococcus" means a gram positive
				  coccoid-shaped bacteria that is found in the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded
				  animals that include Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus
				  avium, and Enterococcus gallinarium.
(3) "Geometric mean" means the mean of "n"
				  positive numbers obtained by taking the "nth" root
				  of the product of the numbers with at least five samples collected within a
				  30-day period.
(4) "Pending
				  swimming advisory" means a notification to the public that recommends no
				  primary contact with the water in a designated swimming area when
				  bacteriological limits are exceeded, but does not close a swimming area to the
				  public. A pending swimming advisory shall include a public notification via
				  social media release to notify the public of the risks of swimming in the area.
				  A pending swimming advisory shall be followed by a resample that will determine
				  if a swimming advisory will be issued.
(5) "Point source discharge" means the
				  discharge of liquids through a pipe, drain, ditch, or other conveyance into a
				  swimming area.
(6) "Primary
				  contact" means an activity in water in which a person's head is partially or
				  completely submerged.
(7)
				  "Resample" means a water sample that is collected by the Division of Marine
				  Fisheries or its authorized agent after the results of the initial water sample
				  collected are processed by the Division and the results are analyzed by the
				  Division.
(8) "Storm water
				  discharge" means any natural or manmade conveyance of rainwater or the
				  resultant runoff into coastal recreational waters.
(9) "Swimming advisory" means a notification
				  to the public that recommends no primary contact with the water in a designated
				  swimming area when bacteriological limits are exceeded, but does not close a
				  swimming area to the public. A swimming advisory shall include a sign posted at
				  the site of the advisory and a public notification via social media and news
				  release to notify the public of the risks of swimming in the area.
(10) "Swimming area" means a coastal
				  recreation area that is used for primary contact located within waters
				  classified by the Division of Water Resources as SC, SA, or SB as set forth in
				  15A NCAC
				  02B .0220 through
				  02B .0222, and is hereby
				  incorporated by reference including subsequent amendments.
(11) "Swimming season" means from April 1
				  through October 31 of each year.
(12) "Tier I swimming area" means a swimming
				  area used daily during the swimming season, including all oceanfront beaches
				  that are monitored by the Division.
(13) "Tier II swimming area" means a swimming
				  area that is not used daily during the swimming season.
Authority
					 G.S.
					 113-134;
					 113-221.3;
					 143B-289.52;
Eff.
					 February 1, 2004;
Readopted Eff. April 1,
					 2021.