Contact:
Crystal Steele
Crystal.Steele@flhealth.gov
850-892-8021

Walton County – The Florida Department of Health in Walton County (DOH-Walton) conducts regularly scheduled saltwater beach water quality monitoring at sites through the Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program. Samples are collected from March through the end of September. 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-0	Grady Brown Park	10	Good
SP-1	Miramar Beach	30	Good
SP-3	Dune Allen Beach	10	Good
SP-4	Blue Mountain Beach	20	Good
SP-5	Grayton Beach	10	Good
SP-8	Eastern Lake Beach	10	Good
SP-9	Inlet Beach Access	10	Good

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

If you should have any questions, please contact DOH-Walton at (850) 892-8021 or visit the Florida Department of Health’s Beach Water Quality website https://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/beach-water-quality/index.html

About the Florida Department of Health
The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.
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