Venice Beaches Bacteria Alert June 2017 (Sarasota: mobile home, inspection, to live)

[PBToast]

Saw this on the news this week in the Sarasota Herald, and SNN. But it did not give many details. Is it expected to last long? For those of you who have lived there for some time, is this common like the Red Tide? Which one is worse? Or is it just something that comes and goes pretty quick?

I put the date in the title so it can't be pulled up 10 years from now (like so many threads!).

[AnotherTouchOfWhimsy]

Once there's bacteria in the water, it tends to stick around until the late fall, when temps come down. I think this is a problem every summer. Usually only a real issue for those with open cuts or a deficient immune system, I believe, but sometimes there are stories of healthy people getting very sick.

[PBToast]

Oh thanks for the reply!

I found the website "Our Gulf Environment" where they list the status updates for the bacterial testing. It seems it's enterococcus, so washing in from the land. Not an algal bloom. It's currently gone from the area, but judging from what you said I suppose it comes back regularly during the rainy season.

I just like to get all my facts in order.

[loves2read]

From what I have read--and not claiming to be an expert--there is speculation this comes from septic systems that are not being pumped/emptied once homes go on city sewer--
Which happens from time to time...

The septic tanks leech into the surrounding land when there is heavy rains and that gets washed into spillways and watershed areas that flow into the Gulf and other larger bodies of water...
There is no way to really trace where it comes from because it likely comes from many sources in incremental amounts vs one large site like a Mobil home park say...or an overburdened city sewage treatment facility...
And if they can't backtrack to the source they can't do anything to get it cleaned up...

Of course they could require inspection of any homes that were on septic and then connected to city sewage to see if they still have residue and require it to be drained...

[PBToast]

Oh, I get it now. I have septic myself and live in an all septic/well community that keeps fighting against public water and sewer. But totally different rock strata than FL. Geology is key here. You are correct, old septic tanks could very well overflow during the rainy season there and get into water flowing into the ocean. It will dissipate in the ocean pretty quick, but happen again with the next big rain.

Sadly, there are probably way too many of them, and many in "forgotten" places, to fill or pump them all out. Too costly. Plus someone would have to go around and locate all of them from historic records.

[loves2read]

Yes--geology is key---

And you have to understand that a hundred, hundred and fifty years ago--fewer people certainly--but obviously no sewage systems in place to handle people coming to live here
In some ways the areas closest to the beaches because they were the more desireable locations were settled first with areas farther to the east/inland left wild because not that desireable for mass settlements--so beach areas are paying the price now...
Science/technology/services are more knowledgeable about geology/land-water permeability and less desireable lands are better served by being developed comparatively recently...

I would think the county probably has some idea where some of those older and likely abandoned septic systems might be but nothing is going to be done about them unless there is a real danger to the public health...
As older lots are taken over for new builds or remodeling of older homes they MIGHT be discovered...likely many of these are mobile home lots which seem very common in older areas w/o HOAs...

Was watching a show recorded off HGTV about beach home remodels--couple had bought a pretty derelict smaller CB home in Ormond by the Sea (Atlantic side) and were redoing it...
Wanted to extend the back patio but there was septic tank in area...they had to have it dug up and a new one added in different location...the original one was basically inoperable with ""dirt" they said but think was likely mix of sewage, dirt that fell in because of holes in the corroded tank, and ground water...
That house was less than mile from the beach from photos...