Floridians have been warned about “fecal contamination” in the waters surrounding two popular beaches, just months after seven others were contaminated.
Residents and visitors are urged to stay away from Midtown Beach and Dubois Park in Jupiter, the northernmost city in Palm Beach County.
The waters were found to contain high levels of enterococcus bacteria, which can cause urinary tract infections in people who go swimming during the advisory.
Bacteria can also cause meningitis, which is caused by a viral infection, and deadly blood infections such as sepsis, which can lead to organ failure and death.
The state health department has detected the presence of enterococcus bacteria found in the intestinal tract of mammals (pictured).
‘Following a poor outcome at the beach, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) contacts local water and wastewater utilities to identify any operational malfunctions, such as wastewater spills, that may have contributed to the poor outcome. beach water quality and reports the results of its investigation to the DOH. -Palm Beach,’ the Florida Department of Health spokesperson told DailyMail.com.
“Warnings will be lifted when enterococci levels drop to acceptable levels.”
The sample taken from the beaches had 201 colonies formed by 100 millimeters of water sampled: A sample is considered “poor” when the results show 70.5 parts per 100.
Fecal contaminations, called enterococcus bacteria, are found in the intestinal tracts of mammals, including dogs and humans that frequent beaches.
“If they are present in high concentrations in recreational waters and ingested while swimming or enter the skin through a cut or sore, they can cause illness, infection or rash in humans,” the spokesperson said.
The Florida Department of Health issued the advisory on April 30 following test results that came in the day before.
“The presence of enterococci bacteria is an indication of fecal contamination, which can come from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife, and human wastewater,” the department shared.
The warning must remain in place until levels reach at least 35 colonies per 100 millimeters, but officials cannot prohibit people from entering the water.
Officials have not revealed how the bacteria got along the coast, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said sources could include wastewater treatment plant effluent, leaking septic systems, stormwater runoff, discharges of sewage or waste from domestic animals and wildlife.
The Florida Department of Health issued another warning in March when the bacteria was detected in Seven Palm Beach.
In the sample taken at Midtown beach, 201 colonies formed per 100 millimeters of water sampled; A sample is considered “poor” when the results show 70.5 parts per 100
Residents and visitors are urged to stay away from contaminated waters, as the bacteria can cause urinary tract infections and meningitis, and could lead to sepsis if left untreated. In the photo, Jupiter Dubois Park, where fecal contamination was found.
The affected beaches were Carlin Park in Jupiter, Riviera Beach in Riviera Beach, Phil Foster Park in Riviera Beach, Lake Worth–Kreusler in Lake Worth, Ocean Inlet Park in Ocean Ridge, Sandoway-Delray Beach in Delray Beach and Spanish River in Boca. Mouse.
However, in 2023, the state saw levels soar 150 times beyond safe levels in some waterways after record flooding in April.
Miami Waterkeeper, a nonprofit group, discovered a day after the historic rain that water collected from the city’s canals had excessive levels of the bacteria enterococci, in some cases up to 144 times healthy limits.
Record levels of rain lead to record levels of bacteria.
Aliza Karim, a water quality specialist at the nonprofit organization, told the South Florida Solar Sentinel: ‘The results on the 13th in some of the sites are the highest that have been detected in the last two years. We’ve never seen so many sites fail above 1000.’
And he added: ‘I would not recommend contact with water. Boating should be fine, but I wouldn’t recommend fishing or any type of interaction with water until the bloom is gone.’
Natalia Soares Quinete, a chemist at Florida International University who studies water pollution, told the local newspaper: “Even without flooding, canals can already have high levels of coliforms (bacteria).”
She said: ‘Those levels are a good indication of likely septic tank overflows. There are a lot of septic tanks in South Florida, and some of them are failing, but even the good ones, with this water, could overflow.’
Quinete said flooding in parks, where there is dog and human feces, is also overflowing rivers.