PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Many people will likely be spending time by the ocean this holiday weekend, and naturally, you want to know if that water is safe.
Gov. Ron DeSantis recently vetoed a bill that would have changed how you are informed about water quality issues.
HB 165: Sampling of Beach Waters and Public Bathing Spaces would have required the Florida Department of Health to issue health advisories if the quality of beach waters or a public bathing place fails to meet standards established by the department and shall require closure of beach waters and public bathing places that fail to meet the department's standards if it deems closure is necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public.
WPTV reporter Stephanie Susskind visited Ocean Inlet Park in Palm Beach County, which is currently under a "no swim advisory" due to high bacteria levels.
However, she found many people on the beach had no idea, despite the sign at the beach entrance warning them about the conditions. The advisory sign was hanging close to the ground, below the beach conditions sign and out of sight for many people. The bacteria warning was also written on the sign as part of the beach conditions, but still, many beachgoers missed it.
Jorge Serres was enjoying time in the water Wednesday until Susskind informed him about the advisory.
"I didn't realize there was bacterial conditions here so I gotta be careful," Serres told Susskind. "The sign is not obvious,"
Claudia Rivera was also out enjoying a beach day and didn't know about the advisory.
"I think that's very interesting because I don't know, we don't know and we don't see the advisement," Rivera told Susskind.
Better beach signage is just one piece of the puzzle, according to state Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, R-Highland Beach.
The Palm Beach County Republican sponsored the clean water bill aimed at keeping beach lovers better informed about water quality.
"It would be better signage that could include a wooden painted board and as extravagant as an electronic board, if so be it, depending on what people want to put in their budget," she said.
As part of the bill, she added, "a municipality, county or state would be required, instead of may or shall, it would be required to provide information to the public within 24 hours. Right now it's very vague language in the state statute."
Though it had overwhelming bipartisan support, DeSantis did not sign the legislation.
In his veto message, he said in part, "It grants authority to the Florida Department of Health (DOH) to close beaches, waterways and swimming pools. Health Departments like DOH can serve a valuable function, but they should not be vested with the power to supersede local jurisdictions regarding the operation of beaches."
The governor added that "this grant of power to DOH over Florida beaches is ill-advised."
Gossett-Seidman said conversations are ongoing with lawmakers and she plans to bring a new version of the bill next session, putting more responsibility back on the local governments.
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She said managing the message is complicated, as several agencies are involved in water quality testing, including the Department of Environment Protection and Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.
The goal is getting everyone coordinated in one process, she said.
"Water is our economy and our identity, so if we don't keep our beaches clear and the great reputation of our beaches up, then we've lost the battle," she added.
The local representative is a longtime water advocate and said she unknowingly swam in contaminated water a year ago.
"I jumped in and it looked like pea soup, just north of the Boynton Inlet," she said. "That day (Fourth of July) was actually the fourth day of a sewer pipe breakage leaking into the Intracoastal at the Boynton Beach Inlet. And in that case, it was a holiday, there was no one to call and no one for the notice and by Thursday, two days later, notices were put out. But it was six days that the leakage had been flowing into the water. ... In the future, I think people learned from that. I've noticed since then the advisories going out much quicker."
Gossett-Seidman said part of her plan includes creating a universal website or hotline where people could find out about all water quality conditions in one place. She said she'd like that to include rip current advisories as well. That comes weeks after two tourists died in a rip current on Hutchinson Island.
In response to the governor's veto, state Sen. Lori Berman, a Democrat who represents part of Palm Beach County, said the following:
"The Governor's veto is both shocking and deeply disappointing. In his transmittal letter, he expressed hesitancy to grant the Department of Health the authority to close beaches, waterways, and swimming pools, citing concerns about the department potentially overriding local jurisdiction. This reasoning is confusing and contradictory, given that Governor DeSantis has signed several bills that strip away local authority, seemingly choosing when to uphold this principle. Moreover, the Department of Health is managed by his own appointee, Joseph Ladapo. I would hope that the Governor trusts his appointees to responsibly execute their roles and use their authority for the safety and well-being of Floridians."
