3 weeks after Irma, are Hilton Head waters safe to swim in yet?

Three weeks after Tropical Storm Irma, there’s some good news for Hilton Head Island residents and visitors.

The beaches are safe to swim in, according to water quality test results from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The department collected beach monitoring samples in the Hilton Head on Sept. 20 and the results were “satisfactory,” according to a DHEC spokesperson.

Along with the swimming area, shellfish waters in the Hilton Head area were also sampled as a precautionary closure. The results indicated that the shellfish area was suitable for harvesting, but the recreational harvest season is still delayed until Oct. 15 to leave room for a “safe cushion,” a spokesperson from the S.C. Department of Natural Resources previously said.

This story was originally published October 2, 2017 at 9:10 AM with the headline "3 weeks after Irma, are Hilton Head waters safe to swim in yet?."