According to a new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), 2011 saw the third-highest number of beach closures due to unhealthy bacteria in more than two decades. The NRDC estimates that one in 28 people will come down with diarrhea, dysentery, pinkeye, and other illnesses just from spending a day at a polluted beach. “Our beaches are plagued by a sobering legacy of water pollution,” says NRDC senior attorney Jon Devine, one of the report’s authors. Most of the high bacteria levels are caused by heavy storms and polluted runoff, which means water loaded with garbage, oil, and animal waste from yards and farms run into the oceans. The most polluted area by far, says Devine, is the Great Lakes region, which houses more than 70% of all US combined sewers—a type of sewer that collects sewage and storm water from multiple sources into one single pipe that tends to get overrun during storms. The cleanest beaches are found in the Southeast, where fewer than 3% of beaches reported closures last year. 6 Signs You Shouldn’t Swim There But fear not, beach-goers: There are plenty of clean beach options no matter where you’re headed. The NRDC’s annual report rates 200 of the most popular US beaches based on bacteria levels and local public agencies’ responses, and awards five-star ratings to the safest beaches. This year’s list of five-star-rated beaches include: Alabama: Gulf Shores Public Beach; Gulf State Park Pavilion California: Bolsa Chica Beach; Huntington State Beach, Brookhurst Street; Newport Beach, 38th Street, 52nd/53rd Street Delaware: Dewey Beach Maryland: Ocean City at Beach 6 Minnesota: Park Point Franklin Park/13th Street South Beach; Park Point Lafayette Community Club Beach New Hampshire: Hampton Beach State Park; Wallis Sands Beach at Wallis Road Texas: South Padre Island (Town of South Padre Island) See how your local beach rated by looking it up through the NRDC’s new searchable database of 3,000 beaches. No matter where you’re taking the plunge, it’s a good idea to take these precautions, says Devine:
Choose beaches that are next to open waters or away from urban areas. These typically pose less of a health risk than beaches in developed areas or in enclosed bays and harbors with little water circulation.Don’tswim in beach water that is cloudy or smells bad. Look for pipes along the beach that drain storm water runoff from the streets, and don’t swim near them.Avoid swimming for at least 24 hours after heavy rains, which can wash pollution into the water.
