Manatee County’s Palma Sola South ranked second on a list of Florida beaches with the most days of unsafe swimming conditions in 2024, according to an environmental group.
Located along the southern side of Manatee Avenue, Palma Sola South tested as potentially unsafe because of high sickness-causing bacteria levels on 20 out of 62 sampling days in 2024.
Palma Sola is in the direct path of hundreds of millions of gallons of sewage discharges by the city of Bradenton over recent years, much of it forced by stormwater infiltration into aged pipelines, staffing issues and technology needs. Palma Sola Bay is also the location of in-water horseback riding businesses.
According to the environmental group’s ranking, only Bruce Beach in Escambia County had more high bacteria readings in 2024, with 36 unsafe days out of 67 testing days.
The findings were published July 8 in a new report from the Environment Florida Research & Policy Center, flagging scores of Florida beaches as potentially unsafe for swimming because of fecal contamination on at least one day in 2024.
A file photo taken on Sept. 29, 2024, of Palma Sola Bay following Hurricane Helene.
The Safe for Swimming? report raises concerns over sewage spills and stormwater runoff that impact water quality at popular beaches across the state. The group analyzed bacteria test data from the past year and found that 141 beaches exceeded the federal health threshold for fecal contamination at least once. Twelve beaches across nine counties recorded the highest number of unsafe days, including Manatee, Bay, Hillsborough, Escambia, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okaloosa and Palm Beach counties.
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“Even as Floridians are back to enjoying the fresh sea breeze and splash of waves at the beach, pollution is still plaguing too many of the places where we swim,” Environment Florida’s Clean Water Director John Rumpler said in a news release. “Now is the time to fix our water infrastructure and stop the flow of pathogens to our beaches.”
The Florida Department of Health routinely monitors beaches for the presence of fecal bacteria. The agency says enteric bacteria are normally found in the intestinal tracts of people and animals. The bacteria’s presence can be an indication of fecal pollution from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife or human sewage. In higher concentrations where people swim and ingest water, or the bacteria enters the skin through a cut or sore, they can cause disease, infections or rashes, health officials say.
Sewage issues in Bradenton
The findings come as communities like Bradenton continue to grapple with the consequences of aging infrastructure.
In January, the city released 450,000 gallons of partially treated sewage water into the Manatee River. The spill was the latest in a series of incidents raising concerns about the reliability of Bradenton’s wastewater system and its potential impact on local water quality.
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The city has struggled to resolve chronic sewage problems for years. Those issues led to a lawsuit filed by environmental advocates, resolved in 2022, that claimed the city discharged 160 million gallons of sewage into the Manatee River between 2018 and 2021. In 2024, the city reported the discharge of nearly 79.8 million gallons of sewage from Aug. 4 through Sept. 6 alone.
Two aspects of wastewater management have troubled Bradenton: technology limitations and workforce issues at the wastewater management plant and an aging city sewage pipeline system.
A total of $100 million in improvements to Bradenton’s wastewater treatment plant and collection system are in motion. This year Bradenton officials voted to outsource operation of the city’s wastewater treatment plant to help rectifying the issue.
The city also weathered hefty budgetary vetoes cast by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis this year, and will also receive $8.3 million for sewage infrastructure improvements. That includes $2 million to relocate a lift station, $750,000 for sanitary sewer lining, $4 million for water reclamation facility improvements and $1.5 million for drainage.
“These investments will go a long way in helping us face and fix the infrastructure challenges impacting our community,” Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown said in a news release. “We’re grateful to Gov. DeSantis, our state delegation, and influential community partners for recognizing the importance of this work for the health, safety, and future of Bradenton.”
Advocates call for federal funding for sewage infrastructure improvements
The new environmental report urged Congress to increase funding for federal programs that address sewage overflows and runoff pollution. It recommends targeted investments in aging sewer systems and nature-based solutions such as wetlands restoration and permeable surfaces to help reduce bacteria levels in waterways.
Standing water along Palma Sola Causeway, in a photo taken after Hurricane Helene’s historic storm surge to Manatee County’s Anna Maria Island in 2024.
The report reminds beachgoers to check real-time health advisories before entering the water. Illnesses linked to swimming in polluted water can range from skin rashes to gastrointestinal problems, and researchers estimate that 57 million such cases occur nationwide each year.
Rumpler said the report underscores the need for renewed commitment to the goals of the Clean Water Act.
“When Congress passed the Clean Water Act more than 50 years ago, our nation resolved that we would make all our waterways safe for swimming,” Rumpler said. “It is time for Florida officials to commit themselves to the goal of clean, safe beaches and dedicate the resources needed to achieve it.”
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Report highlights unsafe swimming issues at Palma Sola in Manatee