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The Florida Department of Health declared this weekend that two beaches in Miami-Dade County are not safe for swimmers, after detecting dangerously high levels of Enterococcus bacteria in tests conducted on Thursday, July 9th.
According to Telemundo 51, the affected beaches are Bark Beach, located on 79th Street in Miami Beach and popularly known as a dog beach, and Golden Beach, a restricted-access residential community at the northeastern tip of the county.
The notice was issued on Friday, July 10, by the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade (FDOH), after both beaches failed to meet the state's recreational water quality standards. In the case of Bark Beach, measurements from July 8 showed 300 CFU per 100 milliliters, a figure significantly higher than the limit of 70.5 CFU/100mL set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Health authorities recommend that visitors refrain from entering the water at those beaches until new tests confirm that bacterial levels have returned to safe ranges.
Enterococci are bacteria that reside in the intestinal tract of humans and animals. Their presence in water is the most commonly used microbiological indicator for detecting fecal contamination, which can originate from runoff of rainwater, pet waste, and wildlife, or from leaks in sewage systems.
The FDOH warned that these bacteria can enter the body through direct ingestion or through cuts in the skin when concentrations in the water are high. Exposure can lead to gastrointestinal diseases, skin infections, eye irritation, and ear infections. In more severe cases, complications such as endocarditis or meningitis have been reported. The most vulnerable groups are children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems.
In addition to the two beaches mentioned, a third one—North Shore Ocean Terrace, on 73rd Street in Miami Beach—was also under an active warning at the time this information was published, bringing the number of coastal areas in the county with current health restrictions to three.
This type of alert is not unusual in South Florida, especially after periods of heavy rain that cause urban runoff into the ocean. In September 2025, the FDOH issued a similar notice for Crandon Park North in Key Biscayne and South Point Drive Beach in South Beach due to the same bacteria. According to media reports, in July 2026, at least 18 beaches in Florida recorded elevated levels of fecal bacteria following recent rains.
Those wishing to check the updated status of the county's beaches can access the data published by the state at floridahealthybeaches.com or contact DOH-Miami-Dade at 305-324-2400. The notice will remain in effect until the results of new tests indicate that water quality has returned to safe levels.
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