Health officials are advising people not to swim at Coral Cove Park in Tequesta after tests this week found high bacteria levels in the water.
Water samples on Monday, Aug. 24, showed high levels of the enterococcus bacteria, which can lead to internal infections, the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County said. Higher levels could have been caused by animal waste, heavy recreational usage, high surf, winds and tides or runoff following heavy rains.
A no-swim advisory does not close a beach. It urges anyone who goes into the water to bathe promptly after getting out.
The water at the beach does not meet the safe level of bacteria recommended by the Florida Department of Health. The safe level is no more than 35 parts or more of enterococcus
per 100 milliliters of water. The water showed "poor" levels of the bacteria in the Aug. 24 sample, with 70.5 parts or more of per enterococcus per 100 milliliters of water.
The health department takes biweekly samples of the beach waters at 15 locations from Boca Raton to Jupiter.
The advisory will remain in effect until health officials obtain a sample in the good or moderate range at the beach.
Maya Washburn is a Trending News Reporter for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 'No-swim' advisory issued at Coral Cove Park in Tequesta
