Coral Gables Riviera-Times

Water Pollution Endangers Health, Economy of Florida

By RICHARD C. GLASS United Press Staff Correspondent The health and economy of Florida are endangered by water pollution which affects tourist beaches, inland lakes, wells and the water supply of both farm and city dwellers, the State Board of Health warned today. An issue of the board's monthly bulletin, devoted entirely to the water pollution problem, declared that less than half the citizens have a domestic water supply that is treated in any way, and that only eight per cent have their homes connected to treatment facilities. Disposal Facilities Lacking "We find that nearly every community of any size in Florida has failed to provide itself with adequate facilities for disposal of domestic sewage or garbage and rubbish," reported sanitary engineers David B. Lee and John C. Patterson. Calling the situation "alarming," the engineers said that well water previously thought safe was becoming polluted by seepage from drainage wells and sink holes especially sunk for disposal of waste. Well water now should be given the same treatment as river or lake water to make it safe, they said. Biscayne Bay Named A map published with the report marked as polluted the St. Johns River, Tampa, Pensacola and Biscayne Bays, as well as interior Lake Monroe and waters at such resorts as St. Augustine, Fernandina, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Lake Worth, Panama City, Clearwater Harbor, Sarasota and Punta Gorda. "There are thousands and thousands of acres of Florida waters so polluted as to render them unfit for swimming, safe boating, fishing and other recreational activities," the report said of the health menace to residents and to visitors who come here "with the blind assurance that such conditions do not exist in this modern age." Shellfish Beds Condemned "As a direct result of the daily discharge of millions of gallons of raw or inadequately treated domestic sewage and trade wastes into natural bodies of water, 139,400 acres, or 202 square miles of commercial shellfish growing beds, have been condemned," they continued. They quoted an industry estimate that opening of condemned areas of Pensacola Bay could increase the $1,700,000 shellfish harvest to $4,000,000. Expenditure of $186,000,000 would be required to provide "ideal" sanitary facilities for communities, the experts reported after a survey, of which $120,000,000 would be needed for sewage collection and treatment. Estimating that liquid waste produced by citrus canners alone approaches 2,400,000,000 gallons per year, the engineers reported as fact that "industry in Florida takes practices for granted which it could not presume to effect in many states where more progressive and anti-pollution programs have been operating for years." However, it said industry proved co-operative when shown that waste control can save money or result in recovery of by-products, and cited the phosphate ore and paper mill companies for anti-pollution programs.