A SWIMMING ADVISORY IS POSTED at the following beach sites:
- Surfside 93rd Street
- North Shore 73rd Street
- Collins Park 21st Street
- South Beach (Collins Avenue and South Pointe Drive)
- Virginia Beach
- Crandon North and Crandon South
Samples of beach water collected atthese locations did not meet the recreational water quality standard for enterococci. By state regulation, the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County is required to issue an advisory to inform the public in a specific area when this standard is not met. An advisory has been issued because two consecutive water samples collected at these beaches exceeded the Federal and State recommended standard for enterococci (greater than 70 colony forming units of enterococci per 100ml for a single sample).
The advisory issued recommends not swimming at these locations at this time. The results of the sampling indicate that water contact may pose an increased risk of illness, particularly for susceptible individuals.
The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County has been conducting marine beach water quality monitoring at 16 sites, including the beach sites at these locations weekly since August 2002, through the Florida Healthy Beaches Program. The sampling sites are selected based on the frequency and intensity of recreational water use and the proximity to pollution sources. The water samples are being analyzed for enteric bacteria enterococci that normally inhabit the intestinal track of humans and animals, and which may cause human disease, infections, or illness. The prevalence of enteric bacteria is an indicator of fecal pollution, which may come from storm water run-off, wildlife, pets and human sewage. The purpose of the Florida Healthy Beaches program is to determine whether Florida has significant beach water quality concerns.
For more information, please visit the Florida Healthy Beaches Program website: http://www.flhealth.gov and Select “Beach Water Quality,” from the Environmental Health Topics List. To view a complete list of beaches and their advisory levels, click HERE.