PALM CITY, Fla. (CBS12) — Think twice before going into this body of water.
Water at Charlie Leighton Park tested above safe bacteria limits, prompting the Florida Department of Health in Martin County (DOH-Martin) to issue a health advisory warning visitors to avoid swimming and other water activities.
Routine testing on December 1 revealed elevated levels of Enterococcus bacteria — a type of bacteria that live in the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals, including humans, and therefore indicates possible contamination of streams and rivers by fecal waste, according to the EPA — which can cause gastrointestinal illness and infections in swimmers. The advisory will remain in effect until follow-up tests confirm the water meets state health standards, according to the news release…