Want a dip at this Miami Beach spot? You can’t. There’s a swim advisory due to bacteria
The weather is warm and a dip in the ocean might be cool — OK, bracing is more like it as it’s December.
No matter your tolerance for water temperature even when it’s 80 outdoors, scratch one beach from the list for the time being even if it’s just to surf.
A no-swimming advisory was posted at 53rd Street in Miami Beach by the Florida Department of Health on Wednesday.
That’s because two consecutive beach water samples collected at 53rd Street’s beach failed the recreational water quality standard for enterococci — a bacteria normally found in the digestive tract of humans and animals.
When there is enteric bacteria in the water it usually means fecal pollution. Could have come from humans, pets or storm water runoff. Exposure to this bacteria can cause sickness and infections, especially among susceptible people.
The health department recommends you avoid swimming at this beach until the water tests cleans for two consecutive days.
For more information visit the Florida Healthy Beaches Program website at www.flhealth.gov and select “Beach Water Quality” from the Environmental Health Topics list.
