Coquina Beach waters safe for swimmers
By Rick Catlin
Islander Reporter
The Manatee County Environmental Health Services Department Sept. 1 lifted its advisory for the waters on the north side of Coquina Beach, but the advisories for the waters at Bayfront Park in Anna Maria and the south side of the Palma Sola Causeway remained in effect.
EHS director Tom Larkin said marine water bacterial indicators at Coquina Beach “currently comply with those recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency.”
The water at all 10 water testing sites in Manatee county will be tested Sept. 7, Larkin said. All 10 sites are tested weekly, he added.
Generally, enteric bacteria levels rise because of several factors, Larkin said, including human and animal waste and stormwater runoff that brings fertilizer and other waste products used on land into the waters.
The presence of high levels of bacteria in waters pose a risk to swimmers and people susceptible to disease, he said. Skin rashes and itching are not uncommon when bathing in waters with high bacteria levels, and the risk of infection also increases, Larkin said.
Bacteria levels often increase after heavy rainfall due to stormwater runoff, but pinpointing a specific reason for the increase in enteric bacteria is “beyond the reach of our testing equipment,” he said.
The federal government has the type of test equipment that can accurately determine where the bacteria came from, but such tests are expensive and lengthy, he explained.
“We can’t do that with the type of testing equipment we have currently, and those tests are usually done in a research setting,” Larkin said.
He said he’s had several people call him about animals in the water off the Palma Sola Causeway, particularly horses on the north side.
“We’ve had conversations with the people who own the horses and they are very conscious to shovel up fecal matter from the horses and return that to the barn,” Larkin said.
He noted that the area is in the city of Bradenton, which allows the animals on the beach. The owner of the horses has a permit to operate at the Palma Sola North site, he said.
“But a lot of people on the north and south side (of Palma Sola) allow their dogs to play in the water. They are supposed to clean up after their animals,” Larkin said.
“What we’d like people to know is that we have eight other locations (for swimming) that are not under an advisory.”
Bacteria levels along the Gulf of Mexico generally dissipate quicker than in Palma Sola Bay or Tampa Bay, he said, because the flow of tides and currents is faster.
Water quality criteria is based upon standards set by the EPA, Larkin said, and the testing program is funded by both federal and state funds.
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