Testing the Waters

Testing the Waters 2010

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Read the Report

• Full Report (PDF, 10MB)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Executive Summary
• National Overview
• Chapter 1: Sources of Beachwater Pollution
• Chapter 2: The Impacts of Beach Pollution
• Chapter 3: Plan of Action
• Chapter 4: Beachwater Quality Monitoring Programs and State-by-State Results
• Swimming in the Great Lakes
• Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Beach Closures, Advisories, and Notices as of July 27, 2010

Individual States

• Alabama
• Alaska
• California
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Texas
• Virginia
• Washington
• Wisconsin

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PREVIOUS REPORTS
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004

NRDC's annual survey of water quality and public notification at U.S. beaches finds that the number of beach closings and advisories in 2009 hit their sixth-highest level in the 20-year history of the report. The number of closing and advisory days at ocean, bay and Great Lakes beaches topped 18,000 for the fifth consecutive year, confirming that our nation's beaches continue to suffer from bacterial pollution that puts swimmers at risk.

Testing the Waters traditionally focuses on information from the previous beach season, but this year, NRDC is providing coverage of current events at beaches in the Gulf in addition to providing information about last year's beachwater quality. Tens of millions of gallons of oil have gushed into Gulf waters from the Deepwater Horizon well, and at the time of this writing, oil has washed up on beaches in Alabama, Louisiana, Florida and Mississippi. NRDC is tracking oil spill-related beach closings, advisories, and notices at Gulf beaches.

Nearly three-quarters of the 2009 beach closings and advisories were issued because water quality monitoring revealed bacteria levels exceeding health and safety standards. Across the country, aging and poorly designed sewage treatment systems and contaminated stormwater are often to blame for beachwater pollution.

Promising developments could improve protection of public health at U.S. beaches. As a result of legal pressure from NRDC, the Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to update its 20-year-old beachwater quality standards by 2012. The legal settlement requires EPA to:

• Conduct new health studies and swimmer surveys.
• Approve a water-testing method that will produce same-day results.
• Protect beachgoers from a broader range of waterborne illnesses.

The illnesses associated with polluted beachwater include conditions such as skin rashes, pinkeye, respiratory infections, meningitis and hepatitis. By contrast, current standards focus on gastrointestinal illnesses such as the stomach flu. Current water quality tests also take 24 hours or more to produce results, so beaches are not closed or placed under advisory until after beachgoers have spent a day swimming in water that did not meet water quality standards. The EPA's changes represent much-needed progress toward promoting safer and healthier beaches along U.S. coastlines.

Despite these steps forward, the agreement doesn't actually require local beach officials to use the rapid-testing methods developed by EPA. That's one big reason that NRDC is urging Congress to pass the Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act, which would push states to begin using rapid-water tests within one year of EPA validation. The measure would also authorize funding for studies that identify the sources of beachwater pollution, which is the first step towards preventing this pollution from reaching the beach. In 2009, the source of contaminated beachwater was reported as unknown more than half the time. Passing the bill would benefit the health of beaches and the people who enjoy them while bolstering coastal economies that depend on beaches for tourism revenue.

Keeping Water Safe by Cleaning Up Pollution

The best way to protect beachgoers from water contamination is to prevent pollution from reaching the beach. One of the major causes of beach closings and advisories is stormwater runoff. Traditionally, the focus of stormwater management has been to convey the stormwater to surface water or sewage treatment as quickly as possible. Combined sewage treatment plants that treat a mixture of stormwater and sewage can be overwhelmed during rain events, resulting in a discharge of raw or partially treated sewage. In coastal areas where stormwater is discharged directly to surface waters, the fecal contaminants it picks up as it makes its way to the ocean can result in contaminated beachwater. Stormwater runoff can be reduced by using low-impact development techniques (also known as "green infrastructure"). Low-impact development techniques retain and filter rainwater where it falls and let it soak back into the ground, rather than dumping it into waterways or to sewage treatment systems. These techniques include strategically placed rain gardens in yards, tree boxes along city sidewalks, green roofs that use absorbent vegetation on top of buildings, and permeable pavement that allows water to penetrate the material, unlike asphalt or concrete. Another technique is to capture and store rainwater in rain barrels or cisterns so it can be reused for irrigation or other non-potable uses.

People can also help prevent beach pollution by taking simple steps, such as picking up pet waste, maintaining septic systems, putting swim diapers with plastic covers on babies, and keeping trash off the beach.

Beach Ratings: How Clean Is Your Beach?

This year, NRDC is rating 200 popular beaches based on the cleanliness of the water and their monitoring and public notification practices. How clean is your beach? Check the ratings here.