DoomsdaysCWGood thing I have NO PLANS to go to the beach any time soon... Ugh! 🤢
Taking a dip #LaborDay weekend? Swimmers face fecal contamination at beaches along US coastline
By PATRICK WHITTLE and MINGSON LAU
Updated 10:15 AM EDT, August 30, 2025
OGUNQUIT, Maine (AP) — "Thousands of Americans will head to beaches for one last summer splash this Labor Day 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.
"Beaches from #CrystalRiverFL, to #OgunquitME, 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 #CapeCod village of Hyannis in Barnstable, Massachusetts; Benjamin’s Beach on #LongIsland in Bay Shore, New York; and a portion of the Imperial Beach shoreline near #SanDiego. Even on the pristine, white sand beaches of Hawaii, the Hawaii State Department of Health is warning of a high bacteria count at #KahaluuBeachPark on the #BigIsland.
"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 report issued this summer.
"The group reviewed beaches on the coasts and #GreatLakes and found that 84% of #GulfCoast beaches exceeded the standard at least once. The number was 79% for #WestCoast beaches, 54% for #EastCoast beaches and 71% for #GreatLakes 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 A key reason is outdated water and #SewerSystems that allows contamination from #sewage to reach the places where people swim, said John Rumpler, clean water director and senior attorney with #EnvironmentAmerica.
" '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 #HumanWaste doesn’t wind up in the places where we are swimming.'
"Other factors have also played a role in contaminating beaches, including increasingly #SevereWeather that overwhelms sewage systems, and suburban sprawl that paves over natural areas and reduces the #ecosystem’s ability to absorb #stormwater, Rumpler said."
https://apnews.com/article/beaches-labor-day-fecal-swimming-b0141df7f40ad2914d4e2cd31182e9af
#OceansAreLife #WaterIsLife #WaterContamination #Sewage #Pollution #HumanWaste
America's beach lovers contend with fecal contamination warnings on Labor Day weekend
Thousands of Americans will head to beaches for one last summer splash this Labor Day weekend, and many of them will arrive at beaches where swimming is not advised because of unsafe levels of fecal contamination. Beaches from Crystal River, Florida, to Ogunquit, Maine, were under water quality advisories 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 symptoms including gastrointestinal illness, rashes and nausea. Conservation group Environment America says nearly two-thirds of America's beaches experienced at least one day in 2024 in which indicators of fecal contamination reached potentially unsafe levels.
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