Debby causes a sewage spill and a mess for Sarasota Bay

For the second week in a row, tests show it's not safe to swim in Sarasota Bay, after more than 17 million gallons of waste spilled there, and 25 million gallons went into the Manatee River.

The sun is shining, the water looks glassy and smooth on Sarasota Bay, and the smell of sewage is gone from the air. But don't be fooled.

Just a week ago, 17 million gallons of waste overflowed here after heavy rain and flooding from Hurricane Debby.

On Wednesday morning, Abbey Tyrna rolled up her pant legs and waded out far enough to reach elbow-deep in the brownish green water to test how much poop remains.

"Last week, we found lots of fresh water moving into this bay, which carried with it a lot of sewage. So we did find high levels of fecal indicator bacteria," said Tyrna, executive director of the nonprofit Suncoast Waterkeeper.

Anything greater than 71 units of this enterococci bacteria per 100 milliliters of tidal water would be considered unsafe for swimming, according to state water quality standards.

If you swallow this water, you could get diarrhea, vomiting, a rash or worse.