No-flush wipes and lots of rain trigger sewage overflow, no-swim alert at Oleta River
A no-swimming advisory was issued Thursday for Oleta River State Park Beach and adjacent waters after excessive rain and a build-up of non-flushable items including wipes caused an overflow at the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant, according to the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade.
People should also avoid fishing and boating in the area, which is bounded by Maule Lake to the north, Oleta to the south, Biscayne Boulevard to the west and the Intracoastal Waterway to the east, including Greynolds Park.
According to the health department, 10,000 gallons of wastewater entered an area of mangroves just west of the treatment plant.
The health department and the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources will retest the water until samples show that it is clear. The advisory remains in effect until two consecutive days of clear testing occur.
This is not the first time a no-swimming advisory has been issued for this area. In February, an 18-inch wastewater pipe burst caused sewage disharge. And in 2019, raw sewage spilled from a ruptured pipe more than 12 feet under the Oleta River. That led to 1.6 million gallons of sewage entering the waterways and several advisories for people to avoid swimming in the waters.
