Venice Beach (FL) Closed For 13 Days & Counting - Source Of High Bacteria Levels Still Unknown

[hatrack]

VENICE - For 13 days, signs have warned beachgoers to stay out of the water at Venice Beach, and still officials have no idea what is causing the high bacteria counts that make swimming there potentially dangerous.

"We can't find anything," said city Utilities Director Len Bramble. "We would like to find a logical reason for these positive bacteria counts. It leaves you with an uneasy feeling if the counts go down" and they do not know why. The beach advisory has warned people since Feb. 23 to stay out of the water or risk getting a rash or other illnesses. The warnings continue during a big beach week as area school districts and many Florida colleges are on spring break and the weather forecast is for mostly sunny skies.

About 20 teenagers were playing volleyball on the beach's two courts Monday, and a few dozen more people were lying on beach towels. Yet the beach has not been as crowded as it usually is this time of year, one beach vendor said. "We'd have people out the door and around the corner," said Jeanette Skinner, manager of Caribbean Sno Ball, which operates out of the beach pavilion. "We finally get the good weather and this comes along."

Lifeguards have been directing people to Brohard and Nokomis beaches where the water tests have come back clean.

EDIT

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110307/ARTICLE/110309624/2055/NEWS?Title=High-bacteria-counts-at-Venice-Beach-confound-officials

[Atman]

1. Did Rush go swimming?

I know he's down in Palm Beach, but the Gulf Stream would carry his filth up coast.

[pscot]

2. Egad!

I think you've got it.