Florida Healthy Beaches Program

The Florida Department of Health's Florida Healthy Beaches Program aims to protect the public’s health by monitoring bacteriological water quality of beaches throughout the Sunshine State.

In Charlotte County, Florida, the Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County (DOH-Charlotte) conducts biweekly testing for the enterococci bacteria, which indicates possible contamination of surface waters by fecal waste, at nine sampling sites throughout Boca Grande, Englewood Beach, Palm Island, and Port Charlotte Beach. When a beach water sample exceeds 70 enterococci colony forming units per 100 milliliters of water, another sample is taken at the same sampling site shortly after.

DOH-Charlotte issues a water quality advisory when beach water samples taken at the same sampling site exceed 70 enterococci colony forming units per 100 milliliters of water two times in a row. A water quality advisory means that high bacterial levels have been detected, and swimming is not recommended due to an increased risk of illness. When a water quality advisory is issued, DOH-Charlotte employs signs at the sampling site to inform beachgoers.

If a beach is closed to the public after a hurricane or other event, water quality will not be monitored and water quality advisories will not be issued.

To view beach water test results in Charlotte County, Florida, visit the Florida Department of Health's Florida Healthy Beaches Program and select Charlotte Beaches.

Water Quality Categories

If an enterococci result were observed to exceed 70 colony forming units per 100 milliliters of beach water sampled, and a resampling result also exceeds this value, then an advisory would be issued for the sampling site.

• Good = 0-35 enterococci per 100 milliliters of marine water
• Moderate = 36-70 enterococci per 100 milliliters of marine water
• Poor = 71 or greater enterococci per 100 milliliters of marine water