SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI/NEXSTAR) — With summer just around the corner and the weather finally heating up, beach season is about to be in full swing, and beachgoers are flocking to the coasts of the United States in search of warm sand and a cool ocean breeze. Many U.S.
beaches often get recognition for this appeal, but several beaches recently received a less than favorable acknowledgment from a national environmental group as the most polluted beaches in the entire country. Last year, labs run by Surfrider’s Blue Water Task Force processed 9,538 water samples collected from 567 distinct sampling sites around the U.S.
Of the 567 beaches that were sampled, 362 of them yielded at least one high bacteria result that exceeded state health standards. According to the Surfrider Foundation’s latest Clean Water Report , the majority of the water samples that failed to meet health standards were collected from freshwater sources, such as rivers, creeks, and marshes, which are influenced by stormwater runoff, or at beaches near these outlets. The group states in their report that stormwater runoff is the number one cause of beach closures and swimming advisories in the U.
S. It can wash chemicals and other pollutants from streets and lawns into local waterways and down to the beach. Out of all the beaches that were sampled, 10 beaches stood out from the rest with consistently high bacteria rates highlighted in the report.
Imperial Beach in San Diego, California came out as one of tw.