Water Quality Advisory Issued At Sarasota Beach: FL Health Officials

SARASOTA, FL — The Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County has issued a water quality health advisory after testing found elevated levels of bacteria in the water at a Sarasota County location.

Testing completed Monday found that water at North Lido Beach, 50 Benjamin Franklin Drive, did not meet recreational water quality criteria for Enterococcus bacteria recommended by the health department, a news release said.

Health officials are advising people to avoid water-related activities at the beach because of an increased risk of illness for swimmers.

The advisory was issued after routine water quality monitoring detected bacteria levels above the threshold established under state health guidelines.

Enterococcus bacteria are commonly used as an indicator of fecal contamination in recreational waters, officials said. Elevated levels can indicate an increased risk of illness for people who come into contact with the water.

The advisory will remain in effect until subsequent testing shows that bacteria levels have fallen below the accepted health level.

Current test results and information about Florida's recreational water quality are available through the Florida Department of Health's Healthy Beaches program.

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