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The beach should be a fun place to get away, drink some iced tea and generally splash around in the water. We shouldn't have to worry about stepping on hypodermic needles or used condoms or swimming in toxic and/or bacteria-laden water. But the world we live in is far from ideal.
You can protect yourself from treacherously dirty waters by using a little foresight. The EPA releases a report each year called the Beach Notification Summary. The EPA surveys the water around beaches and determines if that water is clean or if it is full of disease-causing bacteria.
In 2008, 32% of all EPA-monitored beaches were closed at some point due to bacterial contamination. This bacterial contamination can come from livestock, human sewage and other forms of pollution.
What You Can Do to Find a Clean Beach
If you live in a coastal state or along the Great Lakes, you should make sure to visit only EPA-monitored beaches. The EPA provides us with a map and listing of beaches. Check your beach to see if it has been closed often in the past, if it is under notification or if it is downright closed.
If you cannot find your beach on the EPA's map or you feel the info on the EPA site is out of date, you can contact state officials to learn about any problems have been reported at your favorite swimming hole. So, yes, it is safe to go back in the water, but it doesn?t hurt to check.
More on Pollution:
What's Your Water IQ?
How to Go Green: Spring Break
Reduce Runoff Pollution by 99% with a Rain Garden
Deadly City Air is Killing You: How to Protect Yourself
Could this be the Final Century of Our Civilization?
Got a tip or a post idea for us to write about on Planet Green? Email pgtips (at) treehugger (dot) com.
