Recently, a rather ominous sign was erected near the water in Maximo Park, St. Petersburg. This was bright red and said “Avoid the water! – Based on recent water quality monitoring, water contact is not recommended.”

It goes without saying that when you see a dramatic sign like this then you should probably listen to it, even if it doesn’t really give away much in terms of what is going on. This led people to speculate on a number of theories, with some claiming it was due to human waste entering the water. However, it may actually be something much worse and more dangerous than excrement.

According to one local, it was likely that the water had been contaminated by a nearby water treatment facility. Although this hasn’t been confirmed, they claimed, “If you’re not already familiar there is a water treatment plant right next to the Eckerd College campus and when we receive a large amount of rain or there is an issue with the plant some of this water can be flushed out via the canal adjacent to the park. Long story short if the City tells you not to get in the water it’s because it’s basically a toilet bowl.“

Another possibility is that blue green algae could have entered the water. This happened last summer and is not healthy to swim in. Overall, we still have more questions than answers at this point, but it’s better to be safe than sorry and avoid the Maximo Park waters for the foreseeable future.