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Peter Barile, a researcher at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution in Fort Pierce has tested beach waters and nearshore seaweed and found evidence of nitrogen
originating from sewage.
Brevard County health and environmental officials say their bacterial test results show the waters are not dangerous for public swimming.
The county will hire an expert to make sure sewage is not an environmental or health threat at the beaches. Barile found an excess of nutrients that causes algae blooms. Cocoa Beach Pier and Indialantic Boardwalk had the highest levels. Barile believes the high level of nutrients is related to sewage sources such as deep well-injected sewage or leaking septic tanks. Recent evidence suggests deep well injection of sewage in South Florida has been migrating into more shallow ground water supplies.
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