FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. — A health advisory has been issued for Garnier’s Park in Fort Walton Beach by the Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County.
The health advisory is based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended standards for enterococci. This should be considered a potential health risk to the bathing public.
The water quality at the county’s other saltwater beach parks, including those in Niceville and Valparaiso, tested as either “good” or “moderate.”
According to the Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County (DOH-Okaloosa), bi-weekly saltwater beach water quality monitoring at 11 sites through the Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program detected the concern.
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Samples are collected from March through the end of October.
The presence of enteric bacteria is an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife, and human sewage.
The most recent sampling was conducted on April 12, 2021.
If you have questions, contact the DOH-Okaloosa County at (850) 833-9247 or (850) 689-7859. You can also visit www.HealthyOkaloosa.com and click the “Healthy Beaches” link to be taken to a list of Okaloosa County’s Healthy Beaches sites, sampling results, and maps.
