Unsafe bacteria levels prompt water advisory at popular Palm City park

PALM CITY, Fla. (CBS12) — Think twice before going into this body of water.

Water at Charlie Leighton Park tested above safe bacteria limits, prompting the Florida Department of Health in Martin County (DOH-Martin) to issue a health advisory warning visitors to avoid swimming and other water activities.

Routine testing on December 1 revealed elevated levels of Enterococcus bacteria — a type of bacteria that live in the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals, including humans, and therefore indicates possible contamination of streams and rivers by fecal waste, according to the EPA — which can cause gastrointestinal illness and infections in swimmers. The advisory will remain in effect until follow-up tests confirm the water meets state health standards, according to the news release.

See also: WATCH: Seven Florida deputies, trapper team up to wrangle 14-foot alligator

Residents and visitors are urged to steer clear of water contact at the park due to increased risk of illness until further notice.

Updated test results are available at Martin.FloridaHealth.gov. For more information, call 772-221-4090.

Find more ways to stay up to date with your latest local news. Sign up for our newsletter to get the day’s top headlines delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the biggest stories and can’t miss video.