Environment America Beach Factsheeet Florida

Photo: Greg Bulla via iStock
Safe For Swimming?

Pollution at America’s beaches, and what we can do about it
Pollution at beaches threatens our health

Americans love the beach. But too often, the water at
our beaches can make us sick.
Swimming in contaminated water can cause
gastrointestinal illness as well as respiratory disease, ear
and eye infection, and skin rash. Each year, there are an
estimated 57 million cases of illness in the U.S. resulting
from swimming in oceans, lakes, rivers and ponds.
Contaminated water can also trigger health warnings
or closures that interfere with our ability to enjoy the
beach. There were more than 8,700 health warnings
or closures at U.S. ocean and Great Lakes beaches in
2022, affecting one out of every 12 swimming days.
Roughly one-half of U.S. beaches had

potentially unsafe contamination levels
Potentially unsafe levels of fecal contamination were found
in 2022 at beaches across the country in 2022.
In 2022, 1,761 out of 3,192 tested beaches nationwide
(55%) experienced at least one day on which fecal
contamination reached potentially unsafe levels — that Runoff, sewage, agriculture among causes
is, exceeding EPA’s most protective “Beach Action of beach pollution
Value,” a conservative, precautionary tool states can
Polluted stormwater runoff following rainfall events
use to make beach notification decisions.
was the leading cause of beach closures and health
And 363 beaches — approximately one out of every advisories in 2022, among the roughly 45 percent of
nine beaches tested nationwide — had potentially events for which a cause has been determined. Other
unsafe levels of fecal contamination on at on at least significant sources of pathogen pollution that can
25% of the days testing took place. (For more local make swimmers sick include sewage overflows, septic
information on beach water safety in 2022, please see systems and in some places, manure from industrial
the other side of this fact sheet.) livestock production.
Beach pollution in Florida
Ĥ In 2022, 244 beaches were tested
for fecal indicator bacteria in Florida.
At 170 of those beaches, testing
found potentially unsafe water on at
least one day, and 14 beaches were
potentially unsafe on at least 25%
of the days they were tested. Bruce
Beach in Escambia County tested as
potentially unsafe for 20 days, more
days than any other beach in the state,
and 33% of the days that sampling
took place. In Hernando County (with
just one monitored beach in 2022),
the average beach was potentially
unsafe for swimming on 75% of the
days that sampling took place, a higher
percentage than any other county in
Top beach sites by potentially unsafe swimming days, 2022 the state.
Beach name County Potentially Percentage of testing Solutions to prevent beach

unsafe days days with potentially pollution
in 2022 unsafe water
Ensuring our beaches are safe for
Bruce Beach* Escambia County 20 33% swimming will require officials to take
several key steps:
South Beach Monroe County 17 68%
• Continue investing in water
infrastructure. While the bipartisan
Sanders Beach Escambia County 16 28%
infrastructure law provides
Dubois Park Palm Beach 14 22%
nearly $12 billion for sewage
County and stormwater, ending sewage
overflows will require additional
Bayou Texar Escambia County 13 28% investments from state and local
governments.
Palma Sola South Manatee County 13 24%
• Prioritizing “green infrastructure”
projects such as green roofs and rain
Higgs Beach Monroe County 11 46%
gardens to reduce stormwater flow.
Carl Gray Park Bay County 11 44% • Protecting streams and wetlands,
reducing the amount of pollution
North Shore Ocean Miami-Dade 10 18% that finds its way to beaches.
Terrace County
• Adopting moratoria on industrial-
Bird Key Park Sarasota County 9 16% scale livestock operations,
especially those upstream from or
* Beach has more than one associated testing site, which may affect number of potentially unsafe days.
in close proximity to beaches.
For more information on water pollution at beaches, as well as sources and detailed
methodology, visit our “Safe for Swimming?” webpage at:
http://environmentamerica.org/Florida/center/resources/safe-for-swimming/

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Environment America Beach Factsheeet Florida

Uploaded by

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Photo: Greg Bulla via iStock

Safe For Swimming?

Pollution at beaches threatens our health

Roughly one-half of U.S. beaches had

Beach name County Potentially Percentage of testing Solutions to prevent beach

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