It was a rare event when three island beaches were closed to swimming last Thursday because of bacterial contamination.
Vero Beach Recreation Director Rob Slezak said it was the first no-swimming advisory due to fecal bacteria at city beaches in at least a decade.
After a record-breaking deluge of rain on Sunday, Jan. 27, high levels of bacteria associated with feces were measured at South Beach, Humiston Beach and Sexton Plaza, prompting the city to post warnings against going into the water.
“It’s fecal. We had a lot of rain Sunday,” said Florida Health Department spokeswoman Stacy Broc. “It could be run-off. It could be a number of things.”
The state – which has been testing 16 sites bi-weekly since 2002 – expected to get results on Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday from water samples taken Monday morning at the three beaches.
If levels of the enterococci bacteria are found to have dropped below the threshold of 70 colonies in 100-milliliter water samples, then the advisory could be lifted.
Health officials deem any level of enteric bacteria above 70 as unsafe, posing an increased risk of illness with symptoms such as upset stomach, diarrhea, eye irritation and rashes.
