South Florida Beach Testing Funding

Beginning on Tuesday, South Florida residents will know less about the safety of the water at local beaches

The stunning South Florida coastline and beaches are a big reason why many of us live here, and are also our greatest economic engine.

Beginning on Tuesday, South Florida residents will know much less about whether the water at our beaches is polluted with sewage and other things that can make people sick. This is the result of the governor's budget cuts.

Naomi Sarasola knows this issue all too well.

"And it started spreading, spreading, spreading all the way up to my face," said Sarasola.

Naomi Sarasola's doctor said she got a horrible infection from the South Florida water where she has spent her whole life and now crews for a charter. She's downright angry now that the state is dramatically scaling back water testing.

"It's not just tourists, but the people who live here and enjoy these waters," Sarasola said. "They should, they have a right to know if it's safe, if it's not safe."

These red flags warn swimmers that the water has too much bacteria in it. It costs about a million dollars a year for the Florida healthy beach program; half state money, half federal. But Governor Scott eliminated the state portion, saving $525,000.

Beginning Tuesday, counties will rely solely on federal money, requiring them to significantly cut back from testing two types of bacteria once a week to testing one type of bacteria every four weeks.

"We're not scientists," said Alexis Segal who runs Biscayne Bay Waterkeepers. "We can't come out here and test the water before we swim in it. And without that information, we're just never going to know."

Segal will soon offer a mobile app letting citizens know which beaches are clean and which ones are not.

"We as taxpayers rely on the Florida Healthy Beaches Program to give us the data so we can know whether the beaches are safe to swim," said Segal. "Without that data, for example, my mobile app can't inform the public."

Public health officials have not yet voiced objections to reduced testing and it's unclear whether some will pay for more testing themselves.

Starting on Tuesday, people will have much less information regarding what's in the water.

The Florida Department of Health was contacted but did not respond to calls.

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