Testing the Waters

Frequently Asked Questions

En Español

1. How widespread is beach pollution?
2. What are the major causes of beach pollution?
3. Could I get sick from swimming in contaminated beachwater?
4. Could I get sick from swimming in animal waste?
5. Who is most at risk?
6. How many Americans get sick from swimming in contaminated beachwater?
7. How can I protect myself from getting sick?
8. Aren't beaches tested to make sure that they are safe?
9. Why isn't beachwater testing sufficient?
10. If states close beaches, won't they damage coastal economies?
11. What can be done to make swimming at our beaches safer?
12. What are red tides and are they dangerous to swim in?
13. How could climate change affect the health of the water at my beach?

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1. How widespread is beach pollution?

Every coastal state has a beach with pollution problems. In 2010, beach pollution prompted 24,091 closing and swimming advisory days at ocean, bay and Great Lakes beaches. That's the second-highest number of closing and advisory days since NRDC began issuing its annual Testing the Waters report 21 years ago.

According to the most recent data available, 55 percent of reported beaches are monitored, and 44 percent are monitored at least once a week. Increased monitoring continues to highlight the extensive problem of beachwater pollution.

2. What are the major causes of beach pollution?

The most frequently identified pollution source is stormwater, which led to more than 8,712 closing and health advisory days in 2010, followed by miscellaneous sources such as wildlife and boat discharges which accounted for more than 4,512 closing/advisory days, and sewage spills and overflows, which accounted for more than 1,880 closing and advisory days.

Rain is often a contributing factor to beachwater pollution. Heavy rain can overwhelm sewage systems, forcing raw sewage directly into coastal waters, bypassing treatment plants. And as rainwater washes over land, it picks up pollutants and carries them directly to coastal waters. Pollutants found in stormwater include trash, motor oil, pet waste, pesticides, fertilizer, animal droppings, and anything else that washes off developed land when it rains.

But in many cases, communities simply haven’t tracked down the sources of beachwater pollution. Over half of closing and advisory days in 2010 were issued because monitoring revealed the presence of bacteria associated with fecal contamination. But officials often could not identify the source of this contamination. Local and state agencies should step up efforts to investigate such pollution.

3. Could I get sick from swimming in contaminated beachwater?

Yes. Exposure to bacteria, viruses and parasites in contaminated beachwater can cause a wide range of diseases, including ear, nose and eye infections, stomach flu, hepatitis, encephalitis, skin rashes, and respiratory illnesses. Most waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States occur during the summer, when Americans are most likely to be exposed to contaminated beachwater.

In 2005, a study of swimmer illness at two Great Lakes beaches noted that the rate of gastrointestinal illness was 10 percent among subjects who came in contact with the water, representing twice the number of illnesses reported by non-swimmers.

During the summer of 2003, nearly 8,800 beachgoers participated in a study at the six most popular Mission Bay beaches in San Diego, California. The study found skin rash and diarrhea to be consistently significantly elevated in swimmers compared to non-swimmers. Children 5 to 12 years old had the greatest diarrhea risk, with more getting sick after a greater contact with water: an estimated 27 cases per 1,000 children with any contact with the water, 32 cases per 1,000 children who had facial water contact, and 59 cases per 1,000 children who swallowed water.

4. Could I get sick from swimming in animal waste?

Yes. Although some pathogens, including viruses, in animal waste, do not transfer to humans, others (such as E coli 0157) can make humans very ill. Considerable research still needs to be done to determine the extent of the risk posed to humans by exposure to pathogens from animal waste. But until scientific research demonstrates otherwise, it is best to assume that it’s not safe to swim in beachwater that contains excessive levels of human or animal waste.

5. Who is most at risk?

Small children, elderly people, pregnant women, cancer patients and others with weakened immune systems are most likely to get sick from swimming in contaminated beachwater. They also are the most likely to be hospitalized or die from exposure to waterborne illnesses. For instance, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children under the age of 9 had more reports of diarrhea and vomiting from exposure to waterborne parasites than any other age group.

6. How many Americans get sick from swimming in contaminated beachwater?

We do not have good national data on recreational waterborne disease outbreaks because most people treat the symptoms of their illness (for example, fever, headache, diarrhea and vomiting) without ever finding out what caused them.

7. How can I protect myself from getting sick?

Beachgoers can lessen their chances of getting sick by swimming only at beaches where authorities test the water frequently and close the beach or issue an advisory when it is polluted, staying out of the water when there are closings or advisories, avoiding swimming at beaches with nearby discharge pipes or at urban beaches after a heavy rainfall, staying out of murky or foul-smelling water, staying out of the water when they have an open wound or infection, and swimming without putting their heads under water.

If you believe that you have been exposed to contaminated water, rinse off well with soap and water. Especially clean any skin abrasions. Use a mouthwash or clean water to gargle and spit out. Dry out your ears. Take a shower and wash swimsuits and towels (and other clothing that might have gotten wet) as soon as possible. If you start to feel sick, go to a doctor or your healthcare provider. Tell your doctor that you think you were exposed to contaminated water. Contact your county health department to report your illness.

8. Aren't beaches tested to make sure that they are safe?

State and local health and environmental officials are responsible for monitoring water quality at our nation’s beaches. When they find contaminated water, they may post warnings or close the beach.

Coastal beach monitoring has significantly improved in recent years due to passage of the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2000 (BEACH Act), which provides assistance to state and local governments to develop monitoring programs. According to NRDC’s annual beach report, Testing the Waters, 44 percent of beaches that reported to the EPA and NRDC were monitored at least once a week in 2010. But many beaches still are not monitored regularly, in part because Congress has never fully funded the BEACH Act.

In prior years, Congress considered the Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act, which would have provided federal funds to improve and expand beach monitoring. If enacted, the legislation would have required the EPA to approve, and states to use, a rapid testing method to monitor the safety of beach water and promptly notify the public. The Senate version of the bill would have increased current funding for state and local beach monitoring programs to $60 million, pay for the identification of pollution sources, andauthorized the use of some of those funds for cleaning up pollution sources.

This legislation has not yet been introduced in the current Congress.

9. Why isn't current beachwater testing sufficient?

Even beachwater that is regularly monitored for pollution is not necessarily safe on any given day. The tests take 24 hours to produce results, and many beaches wait to re-test rather than close or issue an advisory. The tests also are not designed to protect the public against the full range of waterborne illnesses or to protect sensitive populations. The current EPA standards are based on the assumption that 19 out of 1,000 people swimming in ocean water that meets this standard will become ill, and that eight out of 1,000 people who swim in Great Lakes water that meets the standard will become ill.

10. If states close beaches, won't they damage coastal economies?

The primary purpose of beach closings is to protect public health. Although there may be short-term impacts to local economies from beach closings, public confidence is enhanced by the knowledge that effective beach protection and cleanup programs are in place. Ultimately, coastal economies will be bolstered if beachwater pollution sources are cleaned up. One study estimated that the annual health costs associated with gastroenteritis, also known as the stomach flu, come to between $21 million and $51 million for Los Angeles and Orange county beaches alone.

11. What can be done to make swimming at our beaches safer?

Our beaches would be safer for swimming if they were cleaner. Federal, state and local governments should make beachwater pollution prevention a priority by requiring better controls on stormwater and sewage, the two largest known sources of pollution. One of the best ways to curb stormwater pollution is by implementing low-impact development techniques in communities to retain and filter rainwater where it falls and let it soak back into the ground, rather than allowing it to overflow into waterways. This includes strategically placed rain gardens in yards, tree boxes along city sidewalks, green roofs, and permeable pavement. By capturing and storing stormwater in rain barrels or cisterns, we can also reuse it for irrigation or other non-potable uses.

The Environmental Protection Agency is presently planning a major reform of its regulations governin urban and suburban runoff pollution. These rule changes represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to advance communities’ ability to retain stormwater rather than discharge it.

The federal government should share the cost of beachwater protection programs by fully funding the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which helps pay for water infrastructure improvements, as well as enacting and fully funding the Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act.

Individuals can also help control water pollution by taking simple actions such as picking up pet waste, putting swim diapers with plastic covers on babies and keeping trash off the beach.

12. What are red tides and are they dangerous to swim in?

Red tides are massive blooms of certain species of microscopic algae that produce toxins dangerous to humans and marine life. Inhaling, swallowing or coming into skin contact with these toxins can result in serious and potentially lifethreatening human illnesses. Symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping and chills, among many others. Red tides have killed dolphins and manatees in Florida and also are a suspected cause of sea turtle and whale deaths.

Red tides in Florida and elsewhere in the Gulf of Mexico are becoming more common. The tides can occur for a variety of reasons, but they appear to be made worse by an overload of nutrients in the water, brought on by inadequately treated sewage, farm waste and fertilizer runoff.

13. How could climate change affect the health of the water at my beach?

Climate change will make beachwater pollution worse. In some communities, it will lead to more frequent and intense rainstorms, temperature increases, flooding, and sea level rise, as well as increased stormwater pollution and sewer overflows -- leading to more contamination and pathogens in your beachwater. Climate change is also expected to increase pathogen populations that cause stomach flu and other, potentially life-threatening diseases in coastal waters.