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 two beaches where every water sample collected recorded levels exceeding recreational health standards. The other beach with a high bacteria rate of 100% was Nāwiliwili Stream on Kaua’i, according to the report.
“This complex and beautiful region … has been plagued with severe pollution for decades,” Surfrider Foundation said in its report. “Every day, millions of gallons of contaminated water carrying stormwater runoff, raw sewage, harmful chemicals, and trash traverse the U.S.-Mexico border through the Tijuana River Watershed and flow out into the Pacific Ocean in Imperial Beach.”
Check out how the rest of the top 10 most polluted beaches faired right here:
| Beach | Location | High Bacteria Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Imperial Beach | San Diego, California | 100% |
| 2. Nāwiliwili Stream at Kalapakī Bay | Līhuʻe, Kauaʻi, Hawai’i | 100% |
| 3. Kahalu’u | Kahalu’u, O’ahu, Hawai’i | 86% |
| 4. Park View Kayak Launch | Miami Beach, Florida | 73% |
| 5. Linda Mar Beach | Pacifica, California | 54% |
| 6. South Sound Thea Floss Floating Dock | Tacoma, Washington | 47% |
| 7. Flying Point: Mecox Bay | Southampton, New York | 46% |
| 8. Ballard Park | Melbourne, Florida | 37% |
| 9. San Luis Creek Mouth | San Luis Obispo, California | 35% |
| 10. Playa Crashboat | Aguadilla, Puerto Rico | 26% |
Tireless advocacy by local elected officials and community groups has given way to a few recent policy wins, Surfrider noted, like the recent approval of more than triple the typical annual funding for the International Boundary and Water Commission to make dire fixes to the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment plant. However, much more still needs to be done.
The nonprofit environmental group said they hope to do that, in part, by “elevating this issue to our national public consciousness” to build more pressure on state and federal leaders to “finally solve this crisis.”