Westchester closes 12 beaches after bacteria tests fail, heavy rain hits

Westchester County families planning a beach day will need to check the map: the county Department of Health closed 12 beaches Saturday, July 18, 2026, after bacteria tests failed at three sites and heavy rain forced preemptive shutdowns at nine others.

The closures mark the third time in July that the same cluster of Long Island Sound beaches has been closed due to rainfall, and the second time this month that bacteria levels have spiked at Hudson River sites.

Three beaches fail bacteria tests

Croton Point Park Beach in Croton-on-Hudson, Philipse Manor Beach in Sleepy Hollow, and Hudson Park East Beach in New Rochelle were closed after routine water quality testing detected bacteria levels exceeding New York State health standards, the county health department said in a notice published Saturday, July 18.

The department said it will collect follow-up water samples at all three sites. Those same beaches were closed Thursday, July 9, after bacteria spiked following a power failure at the Yonkers Joint Wastewater Treatment Plant on Friday, July 3, which discharged roughly 39 million gallons of partially treated sewage into the Hudson River. They reopened Tuesday, July 14, after testing showed safe levels.

Nine beaches closed for rain

More than 1.8 inches of rain fell Saturday, July 18, triggering preemptive closures at nine beaches for Sunday, July 19, and Monday, July 20. The affected sites:

Mamaroneck Harbor: Harbor Island, Beach Point Club, Mamaroneck Beach & Yacht Club, Orienta Beach Club
Rye: Coveleigh Club
Davenport Neck, New Rochelle: Davenport Club, Greentree Club, Surf Club
Echo Bay, New Rochelle: Hudson Park Beach

The county health department's beach surveillance program notes that heavy rains push stormwater runoff into Mamaroneck Harbor and Echo Bay, raising bacteria to levels that can cause illness.

When could beaches reopen?

The health department's notice stated that rain-related closures are temporary: "If no further rainfall occurs, the beaches will reopen on Tuesday, July 21."

For the three bacteria-test beaches, reopening depends on follow-up sample results meeting state standards. The county's reopening timeline is weather-dependent; residents should check the beach closures page before heading out.

A pattern this summer

This is the third preemptive rain closure for the Mamaroneck-Rye-New Rochelle beach cluster in July alone. A similar shutdown ran July 7–8 after 1.96 inches of rain, and another June 23–24 after 1.08 inches.

None of the 12 closed beaches are in Bronxville, Scarsdale, or Eastchester.