Health officials shut down swimming at two of Boca Raton’s go-to beach spots on Wednesday, Feb. 18, after routine water testing flagged elevated bacteria levels. The no-swim advisory covers Spanish River Park and South Inlet Park, though the parks and shoreline are still open for walking, sunbathing and other land-based activities while follow-up water samples are collected. Officials say they expect additional testing within 24 to 48 hours and are hoping to greenlight full water use once results come back clean.
What the tests showed
According to a City of Boca Raton release summarizing Florida Healthy Beaches sampling, water collected on Feb. 17 showed Enterococcus counts of 85 at Spanish River and 75 at South Inlet. Both readings fall into the "poor" category and triggered the health advisory. Per the City of Boca Raton, additional samples will be taken before any swim restrictions are lifted.
Why those numbers matter
Per the Florida Healthy Beaches program, Enterococcus results of 71 or more per 100 milliliters are considered "poor" and indicate a possible risk of fecal contamination. That kind of contamination can lead to gastrointestinal illness, skin infections and rashes. The program notes that common culprits include stormwater runoff, pet or wildlife waste and sewage, and it advises staying out of the water at affected beaches until resampling shows bacteria levels have dropped back into a safe range.
Local management and next steps
South Inlet is a Palm Beach County park, while Spanish River is managed by the City of Boca Raton. Both agencies are tracking water quality, posting public notices and coordinating with state health officials on follow-up sampling. Palm Beach County Parks identifies South Inlet as a county facility.
How to check for updates
Beachgoers can check the Florida Healthy Beaches interactive map and the City’s advisory page for the latest sampling results and any changes to the no-swim order. For official information, see the Florida Healthy Beaches page and the City of Boca Raton; local coverage is available from BocaNewsNow.
