UPDATE: No Swim Advisory lifted for Brohard Beach
The "No Swim" advisory issued Thursday, May 21 for Brohard Beach has been lifted.
Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County officials received testing results today that were at a satisfactory level meeting both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state recreational water standards.
Residents and visitors may return to swimming and other water sports at this beach site. The "no swim" advisory signage will be removed.
The Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County monitors water quality weekly at 16 sites along Sarasota's 34 miles of beaches. The intent of this program is to provide county residents and visitors with accurate, up-to-date information on the water quality at our beaches.
When making beach day plans, be sure to check the latest reports on beach conditions. Click here for beach water testing results.
— Original notice appears below —
As a precaution, Sarasota County health officials have issued a "No Swim" advisory for the following beach:
Brohard Beach
The amount of Enterococcus bacteria found during water quality testing on Monday, May 18 was outside acceptable limits. The beach remains open; however, wading, swimming and water recreation is not recommended as long as there is an advisory in place.
Some bacteria are naturally present in the environment. However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found a link between health and water quality. Signage advising the public not to swim or engage in water recreation will stay in place until follow-up water testing results meet the EPA's recreational water quality standard.
The Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County expects to have the next round of test results available Friday, May 22.
Enterococcus bacteria can come from a variety of natural and human-made sources. These include pet waste, livestock, birds, wildlife (land-dwelling and marine), stormwater runoff, and human sewage from failed septic systems and sewage spills.
No sewage spills have been reported within one mile of the posted beach in the past two weeks.
The rapid response teams from Sarasota County and the City of Venice have determined that the elevated bacteria levels were likely caused by the natural environment. Recent rainfall may also be a contributing factor as it washes pollutants such as bacteria from birds and pet and wildlife feces into local water bodies.
DOH-Sarasota Environmental Administrator Tom Higginbotham emphasizes that the Florida Healthy Beaches program protects beach goers when conditions are unsuitable for swimming. We do this by testing beach water and providing up-to-date explanations of the results.
"When these bacteria are found at high levels in recreational wat
