Swimming Advisory Lifted For Miami-Dade Beach

SUNNY ISLES, FL — A no swim advisory has been lifted for one Miami-Dade County beach, while several others remain in effect.

The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County said Tuesday that it was lifting its advisory for Haulover Beach South near Sunny Isles.

An advisory for Crandon South Beach in Key Biscayne will continue after water samples failed to meet the recreational water quality standard. Both advisories were issued on Aug. 2.

Miami Beach officials issued a separate advisory after a contractor struck the city's sewer main at Fifth Street and Michigan Avenue last week.

The advisory recommends that people not swim from First Street through Fifth Street and for the area of Biscayne Bay from South Pointe Drive to 14 Street.

"High levels of bacteria were detected in all 10 bay sampling locations and on the beach in the vicinity of First Street and Fifth Street," Miami Beach officials said in imposing the no swim advisory.

The construction mishap caused the release of wastewater onto the streets and into Biscayne Bay. City officials said three contractors were tasked with cleaning the stormwater system, to prevent any further wastewater from entering the bay.

"Samples will continue to be collected daily on the bay and on the beach until they demonstrate there is no cause for concern," Miami Beach officials said. "Upon satisfactory results, the swimming advisory will be lifted."

The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County has been sampling marine beach water quality at 16 sites weekly since August 2002, through the Florida Healthy Beaches Program. The sampling sites are selected based on the frequency and intensity of recreational water use and the proximity to pollution sources.

Water samples are analyzed for enteric bacteria enterococci that normally inhabit the intestinal track of humans and animals. Exposure may cause human disease, infections, or illness. The prevalence of enteric bacteria is an indicator of fecal pollution, which may come from storm water run-off, wildlife, pets and human sewage, according to health officials.