Advisories Issued for 2 Hillsborough County Beaches

TAMPA, FL — Tampa Bay area residents with plans to visit Ben T. Davis or Davis Islands beaches over the next few days may want to think twice before diving into the water.

The Hillsborough County Health Department issued advisories for both local beaches Wednesday after samples of water taken from them on Monday tested above acceptable levels for enterococci bacterial. The advisories will remain in effect until water samples come back in acceptable ranges. The next testing date is Monday, Sept. 12, the agency noted in an email to media.

While bacterial levels remain high, the health department said, "this should be considered a potential risk to the bathing public."

The county’s health department conducts coastal beach water quality monitoring at nine sites every week. Water is tested for “enteric bacteria (enterococci) that normally inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals, which may cause human disease, infections, or rashes,” the email said. “The presence of enteric bacteria is an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from storm water runoff, pets and wildlife, and human sewage.”

For more information on the water quality at beaches throughout the state, visit the Florida Department of Health online.

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