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Health officials lift advisory for majority of Potomac River shoreline, except near Minnie’s Island.Normally, this time of year, the Minnie’s Island Community Conservancy is preparing for its annual Isle Fest, a community event on the island near Lock 8 with live music, seafood, and environmental talks, typically held the first week of June.“Well, that’s not happening,” Joe Saliunas, a board member of Minnie’s Island Community Conservancy, told Bethesda Today on Wednesday.This year, Isle Fest will still go on, but in a different way; it will be held on dry land at a later date in June, Saliunas said.Even with local health officials lifting a health advisory for the Potomac River shoreline in Montgomery County resulting from a massive sewage spill in January, Minnie’s Island remains closed to visitors.The island is about a half mile downstream from where millions of gallons of raw sewage spewed into the Potomac River following the collapse of the Potomac Interceptor sewer line off of Clara Barton Parkway in Cabin John.County residents are still being advised to avoid a small section of the riverbanks – including Minnie’s Island – near the spill site that is believed to have high levels of bacteria embedded in the sediment, Montgomery County health officials said The advisory was lifted Monday, according to a statement from the county’s Health Officer Kisha Davis.During the festival, the conservancy invites area residents to spend the day on the island, which is only accessible by watercraft.While visitors to the island may no longer smell a strong, putrid sewage odor, Saliunas said the group is still concerned about members bringing their children and dogs and risking exposure to sediment contaminated with harmful pathogens from the sewage, such as E.Coli bacteria.On Wednesday, the conservancy posted on social media about the sediment advisory, saying the group “puts the highest priority on visitor health and safety” and will continue to keep the island closed until sediment issues are resolved.“We knew something was ‘off’ as we continued to smell sewage in the sediment at our canoe landings, even after water testing showed acceptable levels of E.coli bacteria,” the post said.The conservancy noted in the post that it asked DC Water to test the sediment near the island, but never heard back.In April, the Maryland Department of the Environment, in partnership with the University of Maryland, began sediment testing around county shorelines, including Minnie’s Island.Saliunas said that for the sediment contamination to go away, there must be more rainfall in the region.He hopes that with more rain, the river’s water levels will rise and flush out bacteria in the sediment.Currently, the river flow is very low due to regional drought and little rainfall, according to the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin.A May report found that there is an “above-normal probability” that there will be releases from the Washington metropolitan area’s back-up water supply reservoirs — one of which is located in the county — during the summer and fall.During a press briefing on Wednesday, Montgomery County Deputy Health Officer Sean O’Donnell discussed the county’s decision to lift the public health advisory and keep the sediment advisory near the spill site.O’Donnell noted that he and other officials with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Environmental Protection attended a town hall in Glen Echo on Monday to give updates on rehabilitation efforts around the Potomac Interceptor spill.During the meeting, residents expressed concerns about the lingering smell from the spill.DC Water officials said during the meeting that they are seeking feedback on its environmental rehabilitation plan.According to O’Donnell, water quality data shows that the level of bacteria in the Potomac River, downstream from the spill, has returned to “normal levels,” leading officials to lift the health advisory.“That doesn’t mean that the Potomac River is safe to drink out of, or you know, safe to ingest the water,” O’Donnell said.“It’s a natural body of water and will have bacteria that will vary depending on environmental conditions, particularly after heavy rainfall.Those bacteria levels will jump to more dangerous levels.” Initial sediment testing at the Potomac River shoreline in the county has primarily shown low levels of bacteria as well.However, two samples taken near Minnie’s Island in April had higher levels, according to O’Donnell.There will be continued testing, O’Donnell noted, which will help develop a sense of patterns in the levels of bacteria, such as where there are high levels and how levels are changing.Overall, residents, particularly people with children and pets, are advised to avoid the riverbank sediment near where the sewage spill spewed millions of gallons of sewage into the river.That area is between Lock 11 and the shoreline and the shoreline surrounding Minnie’s Island, according to Davis’s statement.According to Davis, those who come into contact with sediment should: - Immediately wash their skin and hands that contacted the sediment thoroughly; - Thoroughly rinse the paws and fur of pets that touch the water and sediment; - Seek help from a doctor or veterinarian if symptoms such as vomiting, rashes or irritation develop; and - Disinfect clothing and other items that have come into contact with sediment in the health advisory area.Residents also should report any exposure to contaminated water or sediment to DC Water at 202-612-3400.County residents or visitors can also report exposures to the Department of Health and Human Services Officer at 240-777-1755.