Miami Beach kayak launch has been under advisory for months. Dog poop polluted the water
It’s been nine months since the city of Miami Beach first warned residents to stay away from the canal near Parkview Island Park.
The no-contact advisory, triggered by high bacteria levels, was issued after a nearby wastewater pipe burst on March 5. But long after the city fixed the broken pipe and lifted related notices in other waterways, officials continue to warn the public to avoid the popular kayak launch near the park.
The contamination, which has puzzled city staff for months, now finally has a possible cause: dog poop.
“In my view, the dog waste problem has been there longer than we knew,” said Public Works Director Roy Coley.
Test results indicate dog waste is a “major source” of the pollution, the city said. So, Miami Beach has rolled out a community-outreach campaign this week asking residents to pick up after their dogs — and reminding them that they could be fined $50 for failing to fetch their furry friend’s feces.
The elevated levels of fecal bacteria in the water near the 73rd Street park, which the state says are too high for recreational activities, have frustrated residents for months. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, which has received resident complaints, has been in frequent contact with the city since June about efforts to locate the bacteria source and resolve the issue.
Mariana Evora, a city engineer, informed the state Dec. 4 that test results showed dog DNA in the water. When dog owners don’t clean up after their pets, rainwater will pick up the waste and carry it to the waterways through the stormwater system.
The public-outreach campaign would “inform the residents of the importance of picking up after their dogs and the effects that it will have on the health of the waterways,” Evora said.
“Once the program kicks off we will be performing additional testing to assess how it affects the levels of bacteria in the waterway,” Evora wrote in an email.
Coley said the absence of human DNA leads him to believe the sewer system is functioning properly. That is doubly reassuring, he said, because that means human viruses would not likely be transmitted through accidental contact with the water.
Still, the amount of fecal bacteria in the water — as much as 200 times the state standard at its peak in October — means the city will keep the no-contact advisory in effect indefinitely. Water-quality tests also continue to document high bacteria levels in the upstream stormwater system, including at 72nd St. and Byron Avenue; 73rd St. and Ocean Terrace and the 73rd St. groundwater well.
For months, the source of the bacteria has been a mystery. And it may remain that way, Coley said. While dog waste is the leading theory for what is causing the pollution, he said it is hard to fathom how so much dog waste ended up in the waterway.
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“I don’t personally see this much canine waste not being picked up,” he said. “It just seems like a lot of bacteria from what I’ve observed.”
The city, which now periodically tests the quality of the water in the area, has begun to blow smoke through the wastewater system in the area to identify any illegal sewer “cross connections” property owners may have installed. Workers have also cleaned the stormwater system from 72nd to 75th streets and drainage wells in the area, while using cameras to inspect the system in the 72nd St. parking lot and surrounding areas.
“We’re going to continue some pretty aggressive work in the area,” Coley said.
This story was originally published December 11, 2020 at 3:18 PM.
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