Water Quality Advisory Issued For Intestinal Bacteria At Some Pasco Beaches

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County (DOH-Pasco) has issued a water quality advisory for Robert J. Strickland Beach and Gulf Harbors Beach as a result of a water sampling done on June 21, 2021.

This advisory is based upon criteria for evaluating the presence of enterococci (intestinal bacteria) as established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

There are no advisories in effect at this time for Brasher Park Beach, Robert K. Rees Park Beach, or Anclote River Park Beach.

The Department of Health’s Florida Healthy Beaches Program monitors coastal beach water by testing marine water samples every two weeks from March through October in Pasco County.

The purpose of this program is to determine whether Florida has significant coastal beach water quality problems.

DOH-Pasco analyzes coastal beach water samples for enterococci, which normally inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals.

This type of bacteria is considered a potential risk because it may cause human disease, infections, or rashes. The presence of enterococci is an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife and human sewage.

The EPA threshold for the presence of enterococci is no more than 70 colony-forming units of per 100 milliliters of marine water. The next expected sampling date is July 6, 2021.