Published: July 24, 2002, Florida Today
At best, beach bathers know two days after their dip whether there were dangerous levels of bacteria in the surf.
But at 34 of Brevard County's most popular beaches and boat access points, they never know.
Those sites accounted for half of the 70 American coastal and estuarine beaches that an environmental group says are close to pollution -- such as septic tanks and discharges from boats -- but not tested for bacteria.
"Brevard is one of the beach bums," said Linda Young, president of the Clean Water Network, a nonprofit group based in Washington, D.C.
Her group teamed with National Resources Defense Council to bring attention to NRDC's yearly report on beach health. The report, called "Testing the Waters 2002," lists "beach bums" and "beach buddies," based on how well communities monitor water quality at popular swimming areas.
Several of the "bum" sites were in Cocoa Beach, including Lori Wilson Park, Fischer Park, and beaches between 1st and 15th Street. Patrick Air Force Base, South Patrick Recreational Area Park, and Fisherman's Landing in Grant were also among "bums." So were several parks along the Indian River Lagoon: Ballard Park in Melbourne, Kelly Park on Merritt Island, and Long Point Park in Melbourne Beach.
"It's not necessarily that Brevard is more polluted. We don't have the information to prove that. The issue is: Are they checking?" said Sarah Chasis, senior attorney and director of NRDC's Water and Coastal Program.
Health officials say they are checking. They test 10 sites in the county once every two weeks for fecal coliform and enterococci. Both inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals and are considered a good indication of pollution. They can cause gastrointestinal illness and rashes.
Both types of bacteria come from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife, and human sewage.
But lab results aren't available for two days after samples are taken, so conditions can change by the time health officials post warnings.
The state rates the bacteria levels as "good," "fair," or "poor." A "moderate" reading for enterococci, for example, is between 35 and 104 enterococcus organisms per 100 milliliters of water, about seven tablespoons. A "poor" rating would be anything above that level. If sample sites test "poor," the county posts warning signs.
That hasn't happened in the two years the health department has been checking water at Brevard's beaches, said Pepe Menendez, professional engineering administrator for the state Department of Health.
"I was surprised," Menendez said Wednesday. "We saw the report this morning and that's exactly what caught my eye: Why were there so many in Brevard County?"
Chasis says it's because 10 test sites in a county 72 miles long is not enough. There are too many gaps in the data, she said."You want to know when that pollution source is a problem. If you monitor too far away from that pollution source, you're not going to know when there is a problem," Chasis said.
Health officials will soon have a clearer picture of water quality at the 10 sites. Through a $530,000 grant from EPA, next month the state will start testing weekly.
But there are no plans to add more test sites in Brevard to fill in the gaps, said John Pierce, an environmental supervisor at Brevard County Environmental Health Services.
"It would be virtually impossible to sample every inch of every beach," Pierce said. "We have a sample that we think accurately reflects the beach water quality in Brevard. The water quality in Brevard has always been outstanding."