The Natural Resources Defense Council has released its latest
report on beach closures in the US,
“Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at
Vacation Beaches, 19th Edition.” Closures and
advisories were the fourth-highest in 19 years. Two-thirds of the closures and
advisories are thought to be due at least in part to contamination in stormwater
runoff.
Not only the number of beach closures, but also the alacrity
of local authorities in issuing public notices figure prominently in the report.
One criticism of the testing process is that water-quality tests take at least
24 hours to yield results, so swimmers who go into the water during that period
are at risk of waterborne illness. A more rapid test is available, developed by
the EPA, but there is no requirement for local authorities to use it. NRDC is
promoting legislation to require the test, as well as to authorize more funds to
identify sources of pollutants.
The full report is available as a pdf file here.
A listing of beaches state by state—showing such information as the rating for
each beach, how it fared for the previous three years, how often the water is
tested, and whether beach closure notices are posted promptly—is available
here.