No elevated bacteria levels found at Bruce Beach. Conservationists say 'too soon to call it all clear'

Results from water testing conducted at Bruce Beach in February have indicated no elevated bacteria levels in a coastal zone that had been plagued by an all too common occurrence of contaminants identified as specific to human waste.

A release issued Wednesday by the city of Pensacola credits the September discovery and repair of a cracked Emerald Coast Utilities Authority sewer line that was contaminating a city storm water drain as being responsible for the clean water test results.

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The broken line was discovered at the downtown intersection of Spring and Garden streets. Repairs were completed in October.

"Both the city of Pensacola’s storm water system and ECUA’s sanitary sewer system are functioning as designed, and replacement of the broken pipe at Spring Street and Garden Street eliminated the only confirmed source of untreated human waste in (an) extensive sampling effort covering all areas contributing storm water flow to Bruce Beach," the release said.

In April of 2022, local conservationists published a report that revealed a steady stream of human waste was entering Pensacola Bay at Bruce Beach. This news came just three months ahead of the ground breaking for a $6.3 million park to be built on the site.

Citizen-led opposition had saved Bruce Beach in 2018 from being turned into a state fish hatchery. Residents won their battle to have the area preserved as the last remaining beach within the city limits.

That battle led to a massive project to create Bruce Beach Park with construction currently underway on the $6.3 million first phase that includes building a central plaza with a walkway, shade structures, two public lawn areas with seat walls, a learning garden with plants and play structures for children, and a pedestrian bridge over Washerwoman Creek connecting the park to Community Maritime Park.

Bruce Beach Park is heading toward the second phase of construction that will allow the park to open in 2024, which includes updated walking paths and a kayak launch location.

Following the damning report in 2022, initial sampling and testing of storm water systems in the Bruce Beach area were conducted by the city, ECUA and DEP in September 2022, the release said. That testing showed elevated levels of bacteria in several locations as well as high levels in the storm water system along Spring Street just south of Garden Street. Subsequent inspections by city public works staff and ECUA identified the damaged sanitary sewer line.

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Follow-up testing and sampling completed after ECUA’s repairs were completed have found no elevated bacteria level, the release said. Additional biological and chemical testing on the samples collected in February turned up no specific indicators of untreated human waste.

"ECUA and FDEP samples were tested independently in separate labs," the release said.

Barbara Albrecht, a biologist who was among those who compiled the report documenting the discovery of human waste at Bruce Beach, said Wednesday that she is hopeful the results of the February water tests have shown that the city and its partners have successfully rooted out the true cause of Bruce Beach contamination.

But she noted that the Pensacola area has not had the amount of rainfall it is accustomed to, and bacteria levels in local waterways tend to spike after a storm.

"The proof will be after we get steady rain and the groundwater is saturated," Albrecht said. "In a nutshell, it's too soon to call it all clear."

Pensacola is just under an inch below its rainfall average for the year, said Don Shepherd, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mobile. Some areas of Escambia County received two inches of rain as recently as March 28, Shepherd said. Another two inches could fall in the region this weekend as well.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Bruce Beach is free of fecal bacteria, Pensacola officials say