Thursday afternoon the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County lifted the no swimming advisory at Kreusler Park in Lake Worth Beach.
Officials tested the water and found bacterial levels below 10 colonies per milliliter of water, putting it in a good range.
Original Story:
No swimming advisories at Lake Worth Beach’s Kreusler Park have been issued by Florida state health officials. Test samples showed high levels of bacteria in the water.
Recent water samples tested in the “poor” quality range with bacteria levels measuring at more than 71 colonies per milliliter of water, the Florida Department of Health said.
Town of Palm Beach water tests, also tested on July 8, resulted in “good” water quality.
A health advisory means contact with the water may pose a heightened risk of contracting infectious disease.
Causes of the elevated level that prompted the advisory are unknown but heavy rains, high surf, and heavy traffic can contribute. Generally poor ratings are associated with wildlife, heavy recreational usage, high surf from high winds and high tides or runoff following heavy rains. The DOH-Palm Beach always encourages rinsing with fresh water after swimming in any natural body of water.
Florida Healthy Beaches Program Categories are:
Good = 0-35 Enterococci per 100 milliliters of marine water
Moderate = 36-70 Enterococci per 100 milliliters of marine water
Poor = 71 or greater Enterococci per 100 milliliters of marine water
Enterococci are enteric bacteria that normally inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals. The presence of enteric bacteria can be an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife, and human sewage. If they are present in high concentrations in recreational waters and are ingested while swimming or enter the skin through a cut or sore, they may cause human disease, infections or rashes.
Health department staff samples the beach waters at 13 locations from Boca Raton to Jupiter for enterococci as recommended by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the EPA. The samples are laboratory tested for concentrations and a value assigned to indicate poor, moderate, or good ranges.
Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County
