Are South Florida waterways really clean enough for swimming?

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida’s beaches draw thousands of tourists each year, in addition to residents who swim or surf in the ocean. Yet more often than the public realizes, fecal bacteria is present at high levels in some swimming areas.

In December alone, the state health department for Palm Beach County collected samples for routine monitoring that revealed three beaches had fecal bacterial levels considered unsafe. One of those, Dubois Park in Jupiter, had levels higher than the standard guidelines 15 times during routine tests in 2024.

A fourth location, Phil Foster Park in Riviera Beach, had bacterial levels in December so high that the health department classified the water as poor quality. It was the 12th time in 2024 that water samples at Phil Foster Park tested above what’s considered normal bacterial levels.

The health departments in the state’s coastal counties test beaches for fecal bacteria, called enterococci, as part of the Floriida Healthy Beaches program. However, the state program tests the waters every two weeks, tests only a limited number of locations, and relies on the judgment calls of local health officials when it comes to telling the public about bacteria in beach water that exceeds the level established by state guidelines.

“There’s inconsistency in how the rules are interpreted and when swim advisories are provided to the public,” said Katie Bauman, Florida Policy Manager for the Surfrider Foundation. “We need consistent monitoring and notification to let people know when water is not at a safe level. There should be conspicuous signage when the water tests poor. Some counties do this, and others don’t.”

Bauman said the state has not specifically allocated funding for this program since 2019, relying on limited federal funds.

Swimming in water with high levels of fecal bacteria can lead to health problems such as gastroenteritis (vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramping). It can also irritate the skin, eyes, nose, throat and lungs.

When counties get a “poor” test result from a water sample, they have two choices: Warn the public immediately or test again. If a second test turns up a “poor” result, local health departments must warn the public. The Palm Beach County office of the state health department issues a beach advisory after the first poor test. The Broward and Miami-Dade offices of the state health department both wait for a second test.

The Surfrider Foundation is a national grassroots network dedicated to protecting the ocean with local chapters in South Florida. It established a Blue Water Task Force of volunteers who test additional recreational water sites in the tri-county area more regularly than the health department.

Take caution across South Florida

In Broward, the health department tests 13 locations every other week. In December, all locations tested at normal levels. However, the Blue Water Task Force volunteers tested water quality throughout 2024 at 15 additional Broward sites used for recreational swimming or water activities. The task force publishes the results online. Four sites that task force volunteers tested in December had high levels of bacteria: the future courthouse site at Southeast Third Avenue, south of the New River; Tarpon Cove Park in Fort Lauderdale; West Rio Vista; and Pompano Pier.

Mike Scully, who had been one of those volunteers, said water main breaks in Broward County over the last few years have spilled sewage into the beaches and waterways, and some of those leaks are ongoing. He advises anyone swimming, paddleboarding or kayaking in the county’s waterways or beaches to check sites like Surfrider and Swim Guide beforehand.

Christi LeMahieu, Blue Water Task Force Lab Director in Miami-Dade, said her volunteers often find high fecal bacterial levels, particularly in Biscayne Bay. She attributes the county’s polluted beaches to factors such as rain runoff, sewage spills, and aging infrastructure systems. “This is caused by the growth in the population and a wastewater infrastructure that has not kept up.”

How to avoid a health risk

LeMahieu advises educating yourself before doing any water or beach activity. You can do that by checking the Florida Healthy Beaches website as well as Surfrider and Swim Guide.

“If you see a beach has high levels of bacteria on a regular basis, avoid it,” she said. “Wash off afterward, and don’t go in with open wounds or if you are immunocompromised.”

Water-quality advocates have tried and failed to get state lawmakers to improve water quality monitoring and a beachgoer’s notification system for the last two years. Bauman said she is hopeful it will happen in 2025.

Already, Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, a Highland Beach Republican, has filed the HB 73 called the “Safe Waterways Act.” It would shift oversight of water quality from the Department of Health to the Department of Environmental Protection; establish real-time alert systems for the public on sewage spills, bacterial outbreaks and other pollution events; and require a public website and emergency alert system be established to notify the public about beach closures. Bauman said her organization supports this bill.

“We want to see increased regularity of testing, more sites tested, and better public notification,” Bauman said.

What about red tide?

Red tide is also known to be present on Florida’s beaches and causes health problems for swimmers.

On Florida’s west coast, as of Jan. 2, there are reports of low levels of red tide (karenia brevis) from St. Petersburg to Fort Myers and high levels near Sanibel Island. People can swim in red tide, but it can cause skin irritation and burning eyes. Red tide also can cause problems such as coughing and sneezing in people with respiratory conditions.

Red tide is found mainly in the Gulf of Mexico. It has been reported in the past on Florida’s east coast but is not present at this time.