Everyone should have access to clean water to surf, swim, and play in. This is one of the core tenets that the Surfrider Foundation was built upon over 40 years ago. Since then, our national network of volunteer-run chapters has been hard at work running campaigns and programs that reduce pollution and protect water quality in our ocean and coastal waterways — because no one should get sick from a day at the beach.
With Memorial Day weekend kicking off the unofficial start to summer, the Surfrider Foundation is releasing our 2025 Clean Water Report to build awareness of issues that affect water quality and your health at the beach. This comprehensive annual report highlights the successes of our Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) and Ocean Friendly Gardens (OFG) programs in 2025, and features case studies of chapters leveraging these clean water programs to work with community leaders to pair local pollution problems with practical solutions.
During 2025, 60 Blue Water Task Force labs processed 10,157 water samples collected from 620 distinct sampling sites. Once again, Surfrider Foundation chapters broke records with more sampling sites and more water quality tests performed than ever before. In 2025, a new lab was established in Imperial Beach, California, through a collaboration between the San Diego Chapter’s BWTF and Clean Border Water Now programs and the local YMCA’s Camp Surf. Also in California, the Monterey Chapter teamed up with the Middlebury Institute of International Studies to host their new BWTF lab and to provide opportunities for student engagement. Surfrider Vancouver also launched a new BWTF program in Canada, helping to extend off-season water quality testing into the cooler months at Kitsilano Beach.
Chapter BWTF programs are designed to fill in the gaps and extend the coverage of state and local agency beach programs. Surfrider Foundation volunteers test beaches that are not covered by agencies, and also monitor potential sources of pollution, such as stormwater outlets, rivers, and creeks that discharge onto the beach. The Blue Water Task Force operates year-round, providing public health protection through the off-season, when lifeguards leave the beach and health officials stop collecting water samples. Last year, 65% of beaches and sampling sites tested (400 of the 620) yielded at least one high bacteria result that exceeded state health standards. This shows the importance of regular water quality monitoring at the beach to protect public health and safe recreation.
Unfortunately, the President's budget for next year (FY2027) proposes a massive 52% funding cut for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), zeroing out all support for the EPA's BEACH Act Grants program, which helps coastal states & territories pay for their beach water quality monitoring and public notification programs. This would leave beachgoers completely blind to pollution issues at America’s beaches, and could put your family’s health at risk!
The good news is that there is a lot of support for saving this program in Congress. Requests were just submitted in both chambers to increase funding for the BEACH Act in next year’s federal budget. The bipartisan American Water Stewardship Act also just passed the House of Representatives (with a massive margin of 378-32), and this bill will reauthorize the funding for the BEACH Act grants program and other important clean water programs at the EPA. Now is the time to raise your voice in joining Surfrider to call on the U.S. Senate to likewise take legislative action to protect you and your family from pollution by reauthorizing the BEACH Act grants program.
The 2025 Clean Water Report features 10 Beach Bacteria Hot Spots from the East Coast, West Coast, and Hawai‘i, where Surfrider Foundation chapters are consistently measuring high bacteria levels that exceed state health standards for recreational waters. These Beach Bacteria Hot Spots represent a variety of recreational waters and access points that are important to local communities, yet water quality conditions could be putting public health at risk.
| Beach / Location | Bacteria Rate1 |
| Ballard Park Melbourne, Florida |
76% |
| Margaret Pace Park Miami, Florida |
64% |
| Park View Kayak Launch Miami Beach, Florida |
92% |
| Thea Foss Floating Dock Tacoma, Washington |
29% |
| Linda Mar Beach Pacifica, California |
72% |
| San Luis Creek at Avila Beach San Luis Obispo, California |
47% |
| Imperial Beach San Diego, California |
89%2 |
| Hakipuʻu Boat Ramp Hakipuʻu, O’ahu, Hawai‘i |
82% |
| Punaluʻu Beach Park, Chings Punaluʻu, O’ahu, Hawai‘i |
100% |
| Moloa’a Stream Mouth Moloa’a Beach, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i |
100% |
1 High Bacteria Rate = Percentage of samples collected that fail to meet the state health standard for recreational waters.
2 Based on number of beach closure days issued by the County of San Diego Department of Environmental Health and Quality.
At each of these beaches, Surfrider Foundation chapter volunteers are working hard to build awareness of the pollution problems and to provide their communities with critical public health information. The ultimate goal is to use BWTF data to find and fix the sources of pollution and prioritize local efforts to restore clean water.
Upstream, Surfrider chapters are digging into their Ocean Friendly Gardens (OFG) programs to help solve water quality problems caused by stormwater and urban runoff. Chapters use this program to protect clean water and support resilient coasts and communities. By working together with our community partners, Surfrider volunteers installed, cared for, and registered 49 OFGs in 2025, which cover 26.4 acres and filter 23.1 million gallons of runoff every year!
Through grassroots campaigns and programs, Surfrider is working hard to ensure that our ocean and beaches are clean and safe for all people to enjoy for generations to come. You can learn more about how Surfrider’s national network of coastal advocates is fighting at the local, state, and federal levels to protect clean water in the 2025 Clean Water Annual Report. Case studies feature: