Aug. 29, 2019 -Walton County – The Florida Department of Health in Walton County (DOH-Walton) conducts regularly scheduled saltwater beach water quality monitoring at seven sites through the Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program. Samples are collected from March through the end of October. The water samples are analyzed for enteric bacteria (enterococci) that normally inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals, which may cause human disease, infections, or rashes. The presence of enteric bacteria is an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from storm water runoff, pets and wildlife, and human sewage. The purpose of the Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program is to determine whether Florida has significant coastal beach water quality problems and whether future beach monitoring efforts are necessary.
Site Name Enterococci Water Quality
SP-1 Miramar Beach 24 Good
SP-3 Dune Allen Beach 20 Good
SP-4 Blue Mountain Beach 100 Poor
SP-5 Grayton Beach 8 Good
SP-7 Holly Street Beach 68 Moderate
SP-8 Eastern Lake Beach 28 Good
SP-9 Inlet Beach Access 56 Moderate
Water quality classifications are based upon United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) recommended criteria and Florida Healthy Beaches Program Categories:
Good = 0 – 35 Enterococci CFU per 100 ml of marine
Moderate = 36 – 70 Enterococci CFU per 100 ml of marine water
Poor = 71 or greater Enterococci CFU per 100 ml of marine water
The Health Advisory for the Blue Mountain Beach access is still in effect. This should be considered a potential health risk to the bathing public.
