Gaston County beach closed until further notice because of high levels of E. coli

Gaston County officials discovered a high E. coli reading during routine water testing at South Point Access Park and closed the beach until further notice, according to a news release.

Gaston County Parks, Recreation, & Tourism closed the beach at 139 Boat Launch Road in Belmont after receiving results Thursday. Pace Labs, which samples the park’s water weekly, retested the water that same day and is awaiting results Friday. The county will continue to test the water daily starting Monday if the levels come back the same or worse.

E. coli is bacteria found naturally found in North Carolina’s bodies of water. Elevated levels of E. coli can increase the presence of strains that cause diarrhea and viruses; they can cause infections in your gastrointestinal tract and urinary tract, according to Cleveland Clinic. There are about 265,000 E. coli infections each year in the United States.

Catawba Riverkeeper Brandon Jones said elevated levels of E. coli are common after significant amounts of rain. Jones said the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation collected samples at about 60 sites today and will have results by 5 p.m. Friday.

The beach off of South Point Access Park is the only public access beach Gaston County owns, said spokesperson Adam Gaub. The beach has not been closed before for E. coli in the county’s two years of owning the property.

These levels will only affect swimming at the beach. Other amenities at South Point Access Park remain open at this time. Anyone who was recently at the beach and has concerns should seek medical attention.

This story was originally published July 16, 2026 at 3:44 PM.