A lot of things can ruin a day at the beach—a sudden change in the weather, garbage leftover from gatherings the night before, a bunch of screaming and splashing children. There’s also something that’s (usually) far less noticeable: High levels of fecal contamination in the water.
According to a new report, poop may be present in the water of more than half of America’s beaches, and it can make us sick. Here’s what to know.
How many U.S. beaches are contaminated with poop?
Because fecal contamination levels in bodies of water fluctuate—thanks to the weather and other factors—it’s difficult to come up with the precise number of beaches with too much poop. However, based on the data that are available, it’s way too many.
The most recent findings come from a July 2023 report from Environment America, a nonprofit research and policy center.
According to the report, in 2022, fecal indicator bacteria testing was done on the water from 3,192 beaches across the country; of those, 1,761 (55%) had at least one day with potentially unsafe levels of fecal contamination, based on the Environmental Protective Agency’s (EPA) water quality guidelines for public beaches.
Additionally, one in nine (363) of the beaches had potentially unsafe levels of fecal contamination on at least 25% of the days the water was tested.
How to check a beach’s water quality
Before heading to a beach, it’s a good idea to check on whether there are any water quality warnings or closures. Fecal contamination levels can change day-to-day, so even if the quality is fine on one visit, it may not be when you return. The tricky part is that this information isn’t available for every beach.
The first place to check is the EPA’s BEACON (Beach Advisory and Closing On-line Notification) website, where you can search for a particular beach by name, or using a map. If information on the beach isn’t available, check in with the local health department, or state or local beach coordinators.
For a look back at your state’s water quality last year, you can use the online tool embedded in the Environment America report, not far from the top of the page.