Swimming Advisory Lifted For All Miami-Dade Beaches

MIAMI, FL — The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County lifted its precautionary swimming advisory for all three remaining beaches in on Saturday. The agency had cleared all other beaches in Miami-Dade County on Friday.

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"Based on a satisfactory microbial water quality test result, the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County is lifting the precautionary swimming advisory that was in effect for: Oleta State Park, Key Biscayne Beach Club, Cape Florida State Park," officials announced on Saturday afternoon. (For more hurricane news or local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Miami Patch, and click here to find your local Florida Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

The agency said that it took additional water samples at all three locations on Friday and expects to have the results available on Saturday.

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, health officials said.

For more information, visit the Florida Healthy Beaches Program website and Select “Beach Water Quality” from environmental health topics.

Photo courtesy of city of Miami Beach