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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
US beaches warn about water quality due to unsafe levels of fecal
contamination this Labor Day weekend
By Associated Press
Updated:
11:39 AM EDT, Sat August 30, 2025
Source: AP
Thousands of Americans will head to beaches for one last summer splash
this weekend, but taking a dip might be out of the question: Many of
the beaches will caution against swimming because of unsafe levels of
fecal contamination.
from Crystal River, Florida, to Ogunquit, Maine, have been under
advisories warning about water quality this week because of elevated
levels of bacteria associated with fecal waste. The advisories
typically discourage beachgoers from going in the water because the
bacteria can cause gastrointestinal illness, rashes and nausea.
There have been closures this week at some of the country’s most
popular beach destinations, including Keyes Memorial Beach in the Cape
Cod village of Hyannis in Barnstable, Massachusetts; Benjamin’s Beach
on Long Island in Bay Shore, New York; and a portion of the Imperial
Beach shoreline near San Diego. Even on the pristine, white sand
beaches of Hawaii, the Hawaii State Department of Health is warning of
a high bacteria count at Kahaluu Beach Park on the Big Island.
It’s a longstanding and widespread problem. Nearly two-thirds of
beaches tested nationwide in 2024 experienced at least one day in which
indicators of fecal contamination reached potentially unsafe levels,
conservation group Environment America said in a issued this summer.
The group reviewed beaches on the coasts and Great Lakes and found that
84% of Gulf Coast beaches exceeded the standard at least once. The
number was 79% for West Coast beaches, 54% for East Coast beaches and
71% for Great Lakes beaches.
The report also said more than 450 beaches were potentially unsafe for
swimming on at least 25 percent of the days tested. A key reason is
outdated water and sewer systems that allows contamination from to
reach the places where people swim, said John Rumpler, clean water
director and senior attorney with Environment America.
“These beaches are a treasure for families across New England and
across the country. They are a shared resource,” said Rumpler, who is
based in Boston. “We need to make the investment to make sure that
literally our own human waste doesn’t wind up in the places where we
are swimming.”
Other factors have also played a role in contaminating beaches,
including increasingly that overwhelms sewage systems, and suburban
sprawl that paves over natural areas and reduces the ecosystem’s
ability to absorb stormwater, Rumpler said.
But many people plan to jump in the ocean anyway. Despite a two-day
warning of elevated fecal indicator bacteria last month at Rehoboth
Beach, Delaware, beachgoer Yaromyr Oryshkevych was not concerned.
“I really don’t expect to be in any kind of danger of fecal
contamination,” said Oryshkevych, a retired dentist. He said he
didn’t think Rehoboth was close enough to notable pollution to be
concerned, and he expected the ocean’s natural currents to take care
of any problems with contamination in the area.
Dana West, a federal worker visiting Rehoboth Beach, recalled an
instance earlier this year where a dozen members of his vacationing
party experienced gastrointestinal issues. The symptoms occurred after
they went on a snorkeling excursion, an activity that increases the
likelihood of swallowing seawater, off the coast of Isla Mujeres,
Mexico.
It was an unpleasant experience, but he doesn’t expect a repeat this
weekend in Delaware.
“But generally, I have no concerns about the level of fecal and
bacterial matter,” said West while admiring Rehoboth’s shore. ”I
assume the local authorities will tell us if there are higher levels
than normal.”
Despite West’s confidence, some beaches in the area of Rehoboth,
including nearby Rehoboth Bay and Dewey Beach bayside, were indeed
under water advisories this week. Such advisories are not always posted
on public signs.
Environment America assessed beach safety in its report by examining
whether fecal bacteria levels exceeded standards set by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency that trigger an alert to avoid the
water. Fecal bacteria at those levels can cause illness in 32 out of
every 1,000 swimmers.
In North Carolina, five beaches were under advisories in late August
because of elevated levels of fecal bacteria. The beaches are open, but
swimmers are advised that going in the water could be risky, said Erin
Bryan-Millush, environmental program supervisor with the North Carolina
Department of Environmental Quality.
Hurricane Erin caused extensive erosion and storm surge in some coastal
areas, according to the Department of Environmental Quality. Heavy rain
events this summer also exacerbated the contamination problem in some
areas, Bryan-Millush said.
“Those storm drains carry everything,” Bryan-Millush said. “It
could be really bad for someone who is immune compromised.”
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