Gulf Water Quality Results

[Jdarg]

You are missing my point- i still contend that we have a better chance of getting sick out of the Gulf than in it, so before there is mass panic that the Gulf is always dirty here, let's keep a little perspective. There is not an epidemic of sickness happening from the water quality, or the local health professionals would be weighing in on it.

Headed to Grayton today- hopefully the salt water will fix the coughing, sore throat, and stuffy head plaguing my family! it is this stuff that really seems to be going around!

 

[lenzoe]

You are missing my point- i still contend that we have a better chance of getting sick out of the Gulf than in it, so before there is mass panic that the Gulf is always dirty here, let's keep a little perspective. There is not an epidemic of sickness happening from the water quality, or the local health professionals would be weighing in on it.

Headed to Grayton today- hopefully the salt water will fix the coughing, sore throat, and stuffy head plaguing my family! it is this stuff that really seems to be going around!

I agree. I thought one notable thing mentioned in the Okaloosa health FAQ was that a normal, healthy individual probably wouldn't see any difference just carrying on as normal. In the event us sickly types pick up *anything*, the described likely symptoms were really mild.

Around Atlanta, people play around in the Chatahoochee every day. The vast majority of those people are fine.

 

[mputnal]

My point is that we can make our water quality better if that is our goal and I think it is. We can all make a difference by using less fertilizers and pesticides and herbicides to run off into the Bay and Gulf. We should at least have a feasible option to connect to municipal sewer and right now that option does not exist for many of us. If we have a major rain event like just hit most of Florida and we get 10 or more inches of rain the water quality will take a nose dive from septic tanks that fill up and overflow. We can not control the rain but we can make better choices in whether we spend our money on marketing studies or advertising or infrastructure. We need a good debate on our priorities...

 

[Zebraspots]

Is there any correlation between the recent boil water notices and these sampling results? The 2 areas they issued the boil water notices for the other week are very close to the 2 sampling sites of concern this week.

 

[NotDeadYet]

Is there any correlation between the recent boil water notices and these sampling results? The 2 areas they issued the boil water notices for the other week are very close to the 2 sampling sites of concern this week.

No. I live in the area where the boil water notice was. There was a water main break just east of Cassine, someone was digging and broke the main. Whenever there is a break like that a boil water notice is issued as a precaution as it is considered a 'compromise' of the water supply system. Contamination could have entered the system at the break point and/or during the repair. I think in actual practice the chlorine and the dilution are usually sufficient but they follow standard procedure, and it might even be mandated. So no connection. We get a lot of water line breaks around here and there is always a boil water notice. Never heard of anyone getting sick from one of these, and lots of people never hear about the boil water notice.

 

[Jdarg]

My point is that we can make our water quality better if that is our goal and I think it is. We can all make a difference by using less fertilizers and pesticides and herbicides to run off into the Bay and Gulf. We should at least have a feasible option to connect to municipal sewer and right now that option does not exist for many of us. If we have a major rain event like just hit most of Florida and we get 10 or more inches of rain the water quality will take a nose dive from septic tanks that fill up and overflow. We can not control the rain but we can make better choices in whether we spend our money on marketing studies or advertising or infrastructure. We need a good debate on our priorities...

Yes. Thank you.

 

[JoBu]

A pretty decent article explaining many factors that can affect the water quality at beaches: http://www.nrdc.org/water/oceans/ttw/pollution-sources.asp I would copy\paste the article, but its kinda long.

Enjoyed a perfect week at Seaside last week, not once thinking about the quality of the ocean water. Didn't know i needed to worry. Anyway, our family had a great time in y'alls little slice of paradise.

 

[zrettig82]

Less tourists in water=less fecal matter.

 

[NotDeadYet]

Water Quality Results

Poor results again.

The Walton County Health Department conducts regularly scheduled saltwater beach water quality monitoring at seven sites through the Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program. The water samples are being analyzed for enteric bacteria (enterococci) that normally inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals, which may cause human disease, infections, or rashes. The presence of enteric bacteria is an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife, and human sewage. The purpose of the Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program is to determine whether Florida has significant coastal beach water quality problems and whether future beach monitoring efforts are necessary.

[TABLE="width: 733"]
[TR="bgcolor: transparent"]
[TD]Site[/TD]
[TD="width: 243, bgcolor: transparent"]Name[/TD]
[TD="width: 116, bgcolor: transparent"]Enterococci[/TD]
[TD="width: 116, bgcolor: transparent"]Water Quality[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: transparent"]
[TD="width: 71, bgcolor: transparent"]SP-1[/TD]
[TD="width: 243, bgcolor: transparent"]Miramar Beach[/TD]
[TD="width: 116, bgcolor: transparent"]148[/TD]
[TD="width: 116, bgcolor: transparent"]Poor[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: transparent"]
[TD="width: 71, bgcolor: transparent"]SP-3[/TD]
[TD="width: 243, bgcolor: transparent"]Dune Allen Beach[/TD]
[TD="width: 116, bgcolor: transparent"] 248[/TD]
[TD="width: 116, bgcolor: transparent"]Poor[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: transparent"]
[TD="width: 71, bgcolor: transparent"]SP-4[/TD]
[TD="width: 243, bgcolor: transparent"]Blue Mountain Beach[/TD]
[TD="width: 116, bgcolor: transparent"]152[/TD]
[TD="width: 116, bgcolor: transparent"]Poor[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: transparent"]
[TD="width: 71, bgcolor: transparent"]SP-5[/TD]
[TD="width: 243, bgcolor: transparent"]Grayton Beach[/TD]
[TD="width: 116, bgcolor: transparent"] 12[/TD]
[TD="width: 116, bgcolor: transparent"]Good[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: transparent"]
[TD="width: 71, bgcolor: transparent"]SP-7[/TD]
[TD="width: 243, bgcolor: transparent"]Holly Street Beach[/TD]
[TD="width: 116, bgcolor: transparent"]192[/TD]
[TD="width: 116, bgcolor: transparent"]Poor[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: transparent"]
[TD="width: 71, bgcolor: transparent"]SP-8[/TD]
[TD="width: 243, bgcolor: transparent"]Eastern Lake Beach[/TD]
[TD="width: 116, bgcolor: transparent"] 40[/TD]
[TD="width: 116, bgcolor: transparent"]Moderate[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: transparent"]
[TD="width: 71, bgcolor: transparent"]SP-9[/TD]
[TD="width: 243, bgcolor: transparent"]Inlet Beach Access[/TD]
[TD="width: 116, bgcolor: transparent"] 44[/TD]
[TD="width: 116, bgcolor: transparent"]Moderate[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Water quality classifications are based upon United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) recommended criteria and Florida Healthy Beaches Program Categories:
Good = 0 – 35 Enterococci per 100 ml of marine
Moderate = 36 – 104 Enterococci per 100 ml of marine water
Poor = greater than 105 Enterococci per 100 ml of marine water
Health Advisories have been issued for the Miramar Beach Access, Dune Allen Beach Access, Blue Mountain Beach Access and the Holley Street Beach Access based on the enterococci standard recommended by the EPA. This should be considered a potential health risk to the bathing public.

If you should have any questions, please contact the Walton County Health Department of (850) 892-8021, or visit the Department of Health’s internet Beach Water Quality website (www.doh.state.fl.us, click on “Floridians and Visitors” – under “Food, Water, Air, Land,” choose “Beach Water Quality.”

 

[Jdarg]

My first guess (actually engineer Bdarg who knows quite a bit about the environmental stuff) says with all the rain, stormwater runoff will mess up the water.