Alarming Report: Over 50% of U.S. Beaches Contaminated and Unsafe for Swimming

An alarming report from Environment America claims that more than half of the country’s beaches are contaminated with sewage and feces making the water unsafe for swimming.

In 2022, 55% of the 3,100 beaches tested experienced at least one day when “fecal contamination,” exceeding an EPA benchmark for beach closures and advisory levels.

American beaches were also found to be contaminated with human and animal waste from sewage overflows, factory farms, and industrial livestock operations.

In Texas, 90% of the 61 tested beaches showed unsanitary conditions. This issue extends beyond Texas, as the Gulf Coast, West Coast, and Great Lakes regions also faced significant challenges, with 84% of Gulf Coast shorelines failing to meet clean standards.

Louisiana and Pennsylvania, along with their Lake Erie beaches, were identified as the states with the highest rates of non-compliance, as all their beaches failed to meet safety standards at 100%.

According to the annual survey, which allows users to track beaches by state, Oregon has the highest level of persistent pollution among beaches in the United States. Six of its beaches were found to have unsanitary conditions for over 75% of the time they were tested. 

The environmental group’s revelation indicates that the contamination of water sources stems mainly from sewage, private septic tanks, and animal waste from industrial farms.

The group warns that swimming in contaminated water can lead to various health issues, including “respiratory disease, ear and eye infections, and skin rashes.”

Over 57 million cases of water-borne illnesses are reported in the United States annually.

“Unfortunately, sewage infrastructure around the country is inadequate or in poor repair, enabling raw sewage to find its way into our waterways,” the report read.

“Sanitary sewers overflow as many as 75,000 times each year in the US.”

The expansion of urban areas, involving the construction of new buildings and extensive development of roads and parking lots, also contributes to the problem.

“Paving over wetlands or forests that had once absorbed rainfall and filtered pollution makes this problem worse.”

Kelly Johnson-Arbor, medical toxicologist at the National Capital Poison Control Center, told Fox News, “People can also develop gastrointestinal illnesses, including hepatitis A and norovirus, after eating shellfish that were harvested from polluted waters.”

Environment America is advising beachgoers to review beach warnings and to stay out of the ocean if they have open wounds.