No swimming! Bacteria high at two Panama City beaches. Health officials issue advisories

Lori Steineck, The News Herald
·2 min read
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PANAMA CITY — The Bay County Health Department is asking people not to swim in two public beach areas, issuing advisories after detecting unhealthy bacteria in the water.

The advisories affect Carl Gray Park on Collegiate Drive in Panama City and the 1600 block of West Beach Drive, according to a news release from the health department.

"We advise people not to swim in those areas," said Joe Scully, public information officer and environmental supervisor of the health department's Environmental Health Section.

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Carl Gray Park, at the east end of the Hathaway Bridge, is a popular spot for kayakers, swimmers and people using paddleboards. The level of enteric bacteria at Carl Gray on Monday was 228 per 100 milliliters. An advisory is issued when bacteria reach 70 per every 100 milliliters.
Carl Gray Park, at the east end of the Hathaway Bridge, is a popular spot for kayakers, swimmers and people using paddleboards. The level of enteric bacteria at Carl Gray on Monday was 228 per 100 milliliters. An advisory is issued when bacteria reach 70 per every 100 milliliters.

The agency monitors saltwater beach water, testing on Mondays twice each month from March through October for enteric bacteria. The bacteria normally is found in the intestinal tract of humans and animals.

"The presence of enteric bacteria can be an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife, and human sewage," the release said.

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The agency issues an advisory in the event of poor results to advise swimmers of an increased risk of gastrointestinal illnesses.

"At a lower occurring level, there may also be increased risks of upper respiratory infections, skin rashes, and ear infections," the release said, noting that Healthy Beach advisories are not related to necrotizing fasciitis, a rare complication.

An advisory is typically issued when bacteria reach 70 per every 100 milliliters of marine water, Scully said. He said the level at Carl Gray Park was 228 per 100 milliliters and the sample at Beach Drive was 73 per 100 milliliters.

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"Typically after a heavy rainfall, there's a runoff at both locations," he said.

Test results are sent to the Department of Environmental Protection and are posted online at Bay.FloridaHealth.gov. The results also are available online at the Florida Healthy Beaches page at FloridaHealth.gov.

Questions should be directed to the health department at 850-481-4806 and the Beach Water Quality website at floridahealth.gov.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Bacteria found in Carl Gray Park, Panama City public beaches