Beach shuts down after contamination

By Times staff writer

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 12, 2001

PORT RICHEY -- Contamination from intestinal bacteria has forced the closing of Oelsner Park Beach along Miller's Bayou in Port Richey.

The Pasco County Health Department detected dangerously high counts of enterococci bacteria in beach water samples Sept. 10.

Readings showed 240 enterococci per 100 milliliters of water, earning a "poor" water quality ranking from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Bill Angulo, manager for the county's Division of Environmental Health, suspects storm water runoff and animal excrement bloated the bacteria levels.

"When you get a lot of rain, you get a lot of runoff and contamination is dragged in to the surface waters," Angulo said.

Enterococci are a normal presence in human and animal intestines but can afflict unprotected swimmers with rashes and infections.

Sampling at other Pasco waterfront parks, including Anclote River Park in Holiday and Robert Rees Memorial Park in New Port Richey, showed normal bacteria levels.

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