What's being done about high levels of bacteria in Miami-Dade waterways?
MIAMI - Before you dive into the water in Miami-Dade County, you should be aware of the high levels of bacteria in it.
A national non-profit organization collaborates with local cities to raise awareness, aspiring to clean our waters. CBS News Miami found some of the most prominent problem spots and what's being done to fix them.
"It's sort of like going fishing," shared Antonio, a volunteer with the Surfrider Foundation.
On Thursday, he collected a water sample from Park View Kayak Launch by 73rd Street and Dickens Avenue in Miami Beach.
"And that's a nice sample collected for testing," added Antonio, showing us how he pours and seals the sample.
We watched as he handed it off to Christi LeMahieu. She's the foundation's local Blue Water Task Force lab director.
"We have found the Park View Kayak Launch is about 75% of the time high in contamination," emphasized LeMahieu.
Neighboring waterways in Miami Beach, including the ocean point off 73 Street behind the Miami Beach Bandshell, all tested high for fecal matter within the last week.
"It's frightening," said Lee, who is vacationing under the summer sun from Detroit with his wife.
"Grossed out," added Emma. "But also, I just assumed the ocean is pretty disgusting when I go in anyway."
The Surfrider Foundation tells CBS News Miami that the majority of waterways connecting to Biscayne Bay test among the highest in the area for high levels of bacteria. According to LeMahieu, none is worse than the Park View Kayak Launch, so the city posts "No Contact" signs around the waterway.
"Can cause a lot of health issues, such as bacteria infections virus infections; people have reported getting skin lesions when contacting this water," added LeMahieu.
CBS News Miami reporter Joe Gorchow then mentioned to LeMahieu, "It has to mean it's not safe for marine life either."
LeMahieu: "Correct. They can't breathe in that water."
And, she says, it also hurts wildlife living outside the water.
"A dire situation that we have," shared LeMahieu.
LeMahieu points to aging infrastructure as one of the leading causes of pollution throughout different waterways throughout Miami-Dade County.
"The outdated sewage pipes," shared LeMahieu. They could be leaks. If we have high rain levels, we'll have runoff from the streets, and that will cause high contamination levels.
The city is partnering with the University of Miami to identify the pollution sources, investing hundreds of thousands of dollars to clean the waterways, and eventually reopening the launch.
