What happened
Americans have a strong affinity for beaches, considering them ideal places to relax, cool off, and connect with nature.
However, according to Environment America, a non-profit advocate organization for clean air and water, parks, and wildlife, beachgoers are encouraged to be on the lookout for bacteria in the waters.
Water pollution often interferes with this enjoyment and can even lead to health problems. Fecal contamination from various sources, such as urban runoff, sewage overflows, and factory farms, poses a significant threat to swimmers and may result in beach closures to protect public health.
In 2022, approximately 55% of tested beaches in the US experienced potentially unsafe fecal contamination levels, exceeding the EPA's protective threshold. Furthermore, around one out of every nine tested beaches had potentially unsafe contamination levels on at least 25% of testing days.
Why it matters
Swimming in contaminated water can cause gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses, ear and eye infections, and skin rashes. An estimated 57 million cases of illness in the US annually result from swimming in oceans, lakes, rivers, and ponds, with many cases going unreported. Contaminated water also triggers health warnings and closures, impacting approximately one out of every 12 swimming days at US coastal and Great Lakes beaches in 2022.
The sources of beach pollution primarily include stormwater runoff, sewage systems, and manure from factory farms. Factors such as sprawling development, outdated sewage systems, and inadequate waste management increase pollution risk.
Actions should be taken at the local, state, and federal levels to combat beach pollution. Investing in natural and green infrastructure features, repairing and modernizing sewage systems, enacting policies to prevent manure pollution, protecting wetlands, and expanding beach testing is crucial to safeguarding water quality and public health. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 provides significant funding for sewage and stormwater projects. Still, more measures are needed to address the broader issue of water pollution nationwide.
What now
Island Matters contacted Dr. Hudson Deyoe, Professor of the School of Earth, Environmental, and Earth Sciences at the UTRGV Coastal Lab, to see where SPI waters stand.
The state percentage of potentially unsafe days in 2022 for SPI is under < 25% – 0%, marking SPI waters among Texas's safest waters.
The General Land Office (GLO) created a Beach Watch Index to report the water quality of enterococcus (fecal) bacteria and the vibrio vulnificus bacteria.
IM will post updates in upcoming newsletters.
