SINGAPORE — You might want to think twice about that swim the next time you’re at one of these two Singapore beaches. The National Environment Agency (NEA) has advised the public against carrying out primary contact water activities in the waters of Pasir Ris Beach and Sembawang Park Beach due to elevated bacteria levels.

Primary contact water activities include swimming, wakeboarding, windsurfing and water immersion training, where a person’s whole body or face and trunk are frequently immersed, making it likely for some water to be swallowed, the NEA said. Meanwhile, other non-primary contact water activities like sailing, kayaking and canoeing can continue.

In a media release on Monday (5 February), the agency said that both beaches saw a grading drop from "good” to “fair” from its annual beach grading exercise. The “fair” grading is due to an increase in Enterococcus (EC) bacteria levels, which increases the risk of gastrointestinal infection when beach water is ingested, the NEA said.

EC is a bacteria commonly found in the gastrointestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals like humans, the NEA said. Increased EC levels in recreational water increases the risk of gastrointestinal illnesses in swimmers.

Signages advising the public against swimming will be put up along both beaches, and will be in place until further notice., the NEA added.