Hillsborough County health officials issued a health advisory for Bahia Beach in Ruskin because of high bacteria levels. Samples taken July 29 were above threshold for enterococci bacteria.
The beach will be re-sampled, Wednesday, August 5, 2020. When re-sampling indicates that the water is within the satisfactory range, the advisory will be lifted.
An advisory is issued when the beach action value is 70.5 or higher. This is set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The water samples are being analyzed for enteric bacteria (enterococci) that normally inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals, which may cause human disease, infections, or rashes. The presence of enteric bacteria is an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from storm water runoff, pets and wildlife, and human sewage. The purpose of the Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program is to determine whether Florida has significant coastal beach water quality problems.
Please visit the Florida Department of Health’s Beach Water Quality website. To review the beach water sampling results for reporting counties, click on a county name.
