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Read No-swim advisory in effect after 15 million gallons of sewage spilled into Intracoastal off Boynton - “An estimated 15 million gallons of sewage spilled into the Intracoastal Waterway due to a broken pipe last week, and a no-swim advisory still remains in effect off Boynton Beach. The spill from the broken 20-inch sanitary pipe began July 3 in the Intracoastal near East Ocean Avenue in Boynton Beach. It was fixed July 6. Chelsea Sanabia, a Boynton Beach spokesperson, said in an email Thursday morning the number was 15 million gallons, an update to the figures the city provided Wednesday. “The city has not seen a spill of this extent,” she wrote. While drinking water is not affected, residents and visitors near the area are cautioned to avoid the water near East Ocean Avenue because it poses health risks, given the presence of fecal matter in the water. Boynton Beach Vice Mayor Thomas Turkin said he was fishing shortly after the spill happened and noticed a foul odor… According to the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County, the city of Boynton Beach is working with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to test and clean up the contaminated water. “Anyone who comes into contact with the water in this area should wash thoroughly, especially before eating or drinking,” the department of health wrote in a release. “Children and older adults, as well as people with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to disease, so every precaution should be taken if needed.” Signage was in place in the surrounding area of the spill, according to city officials. When the advisory and health alert will be lifted is unknown. State Representative Peggy Gossett-Seidman said she and her family were enjoying the water by boat right around the time the alerts were issued, which she believes could be done more seamlessly. Gossett-Seidman said she is filing legislation, called the Safe Waterways Act, that would, among other things, require the Department of Health to adopt rules protecting the health of people using beach waters and public bathing place, issue health advisories when a body of water does not meet certain water quality standards, closing bodies of water that fail to meet standards and establishing a public database for reporting the presence of fecal bacteria in bodies of water, if the existence of such is not already in place.” Abigail Hasebroock documents for the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Read Is Manatee County tap water safe to drink with algae bloom? Environmental group concerned - “A Southwest Florida water quality advocacy group is raising concerns about the safety of Manatee County’s drinking water due to blooms of blue-green algae. A bloom is currently happening in the Lake Manatee Reservoir, which supplies about two-thirds of county drinking water. In a statement on Monday, county officials said that the algae may cause county water to have a musty odor or taste, but the water is safe to drink. “Current conditions favor a bloom, and tests conducted over the past several weeks indicate the presence of blue-green algae at elevated concentrations,” the county said Monday. “While the odor or taste may be noticeable, there are no known health effects caused by the presence of these compounds.” Suncoast Waterkeeper is questioning that claim. “It is crucial to remember that there is currently no Safe Drinking Water Act limit for the cyanotoxins produced by blue-green algae,” Suncoast Waterkeeper said in a press release on Wednesday. “So, while the water may not be ‘harmful’ to drink from a regulatory perspective, we have no idea whether the water is harmful according to health standards,” the statement continued. In an email on Thursday, county officials identified the type of algae blooming in Lake Manatee as Anabaena (also known as Dolichospermum). The algae regularly blooms in Lake Manatee, according to county officials. While algae in the genus Anabaena can produce toxins, county officials say they have never detected any from the species present in the lake. “We have many years of experience with this algae, and we have tested for toxins repeatedly and never detected any. Even if toxins were produced, our water treatment process is capable of removing those toxins,” the county said Thursday… The term “blue-green algae” refers to several types of bacteria, called cyanobacteria, that typically grow in fresh water bodies in Florida. Cyan comes from the Greek word for the color dark blue. Similar to red tides that occur in salt water, they are considered “harmful algal blooms” because of the powerful toxins they can produce. The Environmental Protection Agency says conventional water treatment “can generally remove intact cyanobacterial cells and low levels of cyanotoxins from source waters.” “However, water systems may face challenges in providing drinking water during a severe bloom event when there are high levels of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in source waters,” the agency says. The agency has recommended guidelines for local governments to issue health alerts when cyanotoxins pass certain levels, but the toxins are not federally regulated. Not all blooms of blue-green algae are harmful or produce cyanotoxins. But if cyanotoxins are present, people can become sick from breathing them in, swallowing contaminated water, eating contaminated food or skin contact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…” Ryan Ballogg writes for the Bradenton Herald.
Read The heat is on in Florida as climate change lands us all in hot water - “… In case you hadn’t heard, Florida — and the rest of the world — suffered under a heat wave last week the likes of which we’ve never seen before. July 4 marked the hottest day in human history. It was so hot, I’m surprised our neighbors’ fireworks didn’t explode on their own. I keep playing Tom Petty’s “105 Degrees” on repeat. How hot has it been? So hot that the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office asked everyone to stop doing anything illegal: “Due to the extreme heat, we are asking anyone thinking of conducting criminal activity to hold off. It is straight up H-O-T and humid.” Now, it’s about to warm up even worse. “Nearly 50 million Americans are set to face triple-digit temperatures this week amid a sprawling dome of heat that will engulf most of the southern United States,” the Washington Post reported. Ah, but we folks in Florida can always cool off by splashing around at the beach, right? Nope! Stay up above the wrack line or you’ll be toasting your tootsies. “Sea ‘surface’ temps in the Florida Keys are 92-95 degrees. That’s boiling for them! More typically it would be in the upper 80s,” Jeff Berardelli, WFLA-TV’s chief meteorologist tweeted this week…” Craig Pittman covers for the Florida Phoenix.
Read Aventura Residents Protest After Community Garden Ripped Out for Pickleball Project - “Tova Itzhak found solace in Aventura's community garden. A resident of the city since 2009, the now-73-year-old secured a garden bed at Founders Park South upon its opening and brought her grandchildren there to plant tomatoes, carrots, mint leaves, and sweet potatoes. She began visiting the park more frequently after her retirement and eventually got two more boxes there to grow produce… Despite vehement pushback from Aventura residents, Itzhak and others' community garden has been ripped out and is set to be replaced by a handful of pickleball courts. While the project includes plans for a nearby location for a community garden, opponents say it will no longer offer the serene setting and character that it once did. "I am not against tennis or pickeleball, but why destroy a beautiful peaceful park for that? They could have used some of the large areas in the other parks," Itzhak says. On July 11, dozens of Aventura residents gathered outside city hall to protest the city's plan to build six pickleball courts at Founders Park South in hopes of keeping up with the craze over the racquet sport sweeping America. The project is also slated to include three tennis courts, new landscaping, lighting, and garden beds…” Alex Deluca reports for the Miami New Times.
Read Why is this city in the Keys the hottest spot in Florida? Weather service has answers - “… In the daily heat records race. it’s a marathon. And Marathon is in for the win. On Wednesday, Miami and the Florida Keys city both set daily heat records, again. Miami soared to 97, breaking the July 12 record of 95 set in 1981. On Thursday, Miami made it to 95. Marathon baked at 98, the hottest in Florida, breaking the July 12 record of 97 for the Middle Keys city set in 2022. On Thursday, Marathon said, “You want more?” — and delivered. Marathon hit 99 degrees, a new daily record for a July 13, beating the previous record of 95 set on this date in 2022. The 99 figure ties the all-time hottest days record in Marathon since records started in 1950. The previous 99-degree days are July 15, 1987, and June, 17, 1972. Marathon boundaries are from the east end of the Seven Mile Bridge at Mile Marker 47 to the west end of Toms Harbors Bridge, at MM 60, about an hour drive from Key West and Key Largo. Marathon is touted by city officials as “the heart of the Florida Keys — and this heart pumps hot. According to the National Weather Service in Key West, Marathon has set or tied the daily high temperature record for 10 straight days. All of these days this July have been 95 or hotter. That 98-degree high temperature at Marathon International Airport happened Tuesday, too… The hot spot has to do with the location of the National Weather Service’s sensors, explains National Weather Service in Key West meteorologist Jon Rizzo. “The temperature of the cities is actually a specific instrument that we maintain at the airport. And in the case of Marathon, the location of that is kind of sandwiched between some pavement including part of the ramp where they park the aircraft and the driveway, which is just to the south,” Rizzo said. “So what happens is when the winds are light and over this stretch, in particular, the last couple of weeks, some of the hot air over the payment passes over the sensor, and so it will read higher than perhaps positioned at another part of the airfield that may be over a grassy surface… Rizzo said the Keys weather service is working with the Federal Aviation Administration to possibly relocate the sensors at Marathon International Airport to a different part of its airfield. But any such move will take some time…” Howard Cohen investigates for the Miami Herald.
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