Authorities in the southern Ukrainian region of Odessa have closed beaches because poor water quality – caused in part by the collapse of the Nova Kahovka dam – poses a “real threat” to local residents.

“The beaches of Odessa have been declared unsuitable for swimming due to a significant deterioration of the water condition in open areas (sea, estuaries) and a real threat to the health of the city’s residents”the municipality of Odessa said in a telegram.

Odessa’s sandy beaches and tourist resorts were particularly popular with Ukrainian and foreign visitors, who flocked to the area before the war. The beaches have been largely deserted by swimmers in recent months as mines from the war with Russia continue to wash up on the coastline.

Now, the catastrophic collapse of the dam has turned Odessa’s Black Sea shores into a “trash dump and animal graveyard,” according to Ukrainian authorities.

Odessa officials sounded the alarm about declining water quality in a Telegram post on Saturday, saying laboratory tests “they detected infectious agents last week.” Traces of salmonella, worm eggs and worm larvae were all found in the water, which also “significantly” exceeded the permitted levels for lactose-positive E. Coli.

“The presence of all these biological pathogens in the waters of open water areas in the Odesa region, including the Black Sea, the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi estuary and the Danube River, is a real threat to the life and health of the population,” added the municipality.

On Saturday, the municipality announced to Odessa residents that they were also banned from selling fish and seafood from “unknown fishing spots” near markets and shopping centers.