Before a trip to the beach, most people will take a look at the weather report. Is it going to rain? What’s the temperature going to be? How about the UV index? Upon arrival, many will note the wave conditions. Are the lifeguards flying a red flag to indicate dangerous surf or green for calm, safe conditions? If you are a surfer, you’re likely to look at a few more factors like swell size and direction, wind speed and direction, and tides.
Unfortunately, many of us don’t even think about the one variable that could have the greatest influence on whether a day at the beach is safe and enjoyable, or will instead cause you to get sick — water quality. This is something that has been making headlines as the world tunes in to watch the Olympics in Paris. Poor water quality has exposed athletes to unsafe conditions, with a Belgium athlete developing an infection after swimming in the Seine River and forcing the Belgium mixed triathlon team to withdraw from the competition, as covered by NPR and Time. Since competing in the triathlon, three German swimmers have reported becoming ill with gastro-intestinal symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting.
In the US, health agencies in coastal states are monitoring water quality to measure the health risks posed by sewage pollution at the beach and in recreational waters. This protects the bathing public from developing common symptoms like rashes, stomach flu, and ear and respiratory infections. More rare but serious conditions that can develop include Hepatitis A, staph infections, and vibrio. Most states receive all or most of their funding to support their beach water quality monitoring and notification programs from the federal BEACH Act grants program run by the EPA.
Unfortunately, funding for this program has been stagnant for the past 20+ years, forcing coastal states to make tough decisions on how to stretch the diminishing returns of their grant dollars. Most states choose to spend their limited resources on testing their most popular beaches during the peak swimming season during the summer months. This leaves public health unprotected for much of the year and some beaches completely untested.
The Surfrider Foundation was featured in this recent segment of ABC’s “Nightline News” which tells the story of a teenager who, along with 22 other people, developed an E. coli infection after recreating in Lake Ana in Virginia over the Memorial Day weekend earlier this year. This infection led to kidney failure yet there was no timely warning provided to the public that the water was polluted because the state was only testing this beach monthly going into the holiday weekend.
The Surfrider Foundation’s Blue Water Task Force is filling in the gaps left by agency testing programs so people have more information on where it is safe to swim, surf, and play in the water. You can see where we are testing here. We are also using our data to build awareness and inform solutions to restore clean water.
Surfrider has also been hard at work to build bi-partisan support in Congress to provide more financial support for beach water quality monitoring programs to better protect safe recreation and clean water at the beach. Whether you are an elite athlete competing at the highest level or just want to spend the afternoon at your favorite beach with your family, enjoying the water should not be putting your health at risk.
TAKE ACTION
Know before you go: Check local water quality conditions before heading to the beach. You can find swim advisories posted in your state on Beachapedia.
Protect yourself at the beach:
- Heed swim advisory and beach closure signs.
- Don’t enter the water immediately after it rains. Wait 24-72 hours depending on local conditions.
- Don’t swim near stormwater or freshwater discharges at the beach.
- Wash your hands before eating and rinse with fresh water when you leave.
Make your voice heard: Join Surfrider in calling on Congress to increase funding levels for the BEACH Act grants program. Send your email here.