This U.S. beach is the top "bacteria hot spot" in the country
Summer is almost here, and throngs of sun-seekers will soon be heading to sandy beaches for some R&R. But before you pack your towel and sunscreen, take note: some of the country's most stunning beaches are hiding a dirty secret—literally.
According to the Surfrider Foundation's 2024 Clean Water Report, beachgoers may be swimming in water contaminated with unsafe levels of bacteria. The report ranks the most bacteria-laden beaches, and the biggest offender is Kahalu'u Beach in Oahu, Hawaii, where a jaw-dropping 92-percent of water samples failed to meet health standards. Right behind it is Waikomo Stream at Koloa Landing in Poipu, Hawaii, with a 90-percent failure rate.
And it's not just Hawaii. The report lists top bacteria hot spots all across the U.S.—from the East and West Coasts to Puerto Rico. These aren't remote, forgotten beaches. They're community hubs, tourist magnets and vital ecosystems.
The foundation points to a nasty brew of stormwater runoff, sewage overflows, agricultural waste and failing infrastructure as the primary culprits for bacterial buildup. Nearly 10 trillion gallons of untreated stormwater runoff hit U.S. waterways each year. Add in 900 billion gallons of untreated sewage from aging systems, and it's a health hazard in the making.
These beaches may look pristine, but the detected bacteria can cause rashes, stomach bugs, skin infections or worse. Raw sewage also feeds harmful algal blooms, kills fish and devastates coral reefs. Climate change only fuels the mess with rising seas and more intense storms overwhelming fragile systems.
In 2024, Surfrider's Blue Water Task Force processed over 10,000 samples from 604 sites, with a shocking 80% showing high bacteria levels. Volunteers test water and trace pollutants, but they can't fix the root problems alone. That's why Surfrider is calling on Congress to stop slashing EPA funding and instead invest in clean water and resilient infrastructure. Clean, swimmable beaches shouldn't be a luxury—they should be a given.
U.S. beaches with the highest levels of bacteria
Waikomo Stream at Koloa Landing, Kauai, HI
Kahalu'u, Kahalu'u, O'ahu, HI
Imperial Beach - San Diego, CA
San Luis Creek Mouth- Avila Beach, CA
Linda Mar Beach - Pacifica, CA
South Sound Thea Foss Floating Dock - Tacoma, WA
Playa Crashboat - Aguadilla, PR
Park View Kayak Launch - Miami Beach, FL
Ballard Park - Melbourne, FL
Windmill Beach - Sag Harbor, NY
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Time Out
2 days ago
- Time Out
This U.S. beach is the top "bacteria hot spot" in the country
Summer is almost here, and throngs of sun-seekers will soon be heading to sandy beaches for some R&R. But before you pack your towel and sunscreen, take note: some of the country's most stunning beaches are hiding a dirty secret—literally. According to the Surfrider Foundation's 2024 Clean Water Report, beachgoers may be swimming in water contaminated with unsafe levels of bacteria. The report ranks the most bacteria-laden beaches, and the biggest offender is Kahalu'u Beach in Oahu, Hawaii, where a jaw-dropping 92-percent of water samples failed to meet health standards. Right behind it is Waikomo Stream at Koloa Landing in Poipu, Hawaii, with a 90-percent failure rate. And it's not just Hawaii. The report lists top bacteria hot spots all across the U.S.—from the East and West Coasts to Puerto Rico. These aren't remote, forgotten beaches. They're community hubs, tourist magnets and vital ecosystems. The foundation points to a nasty brew of stormwater runoff, sewage overflows, agricultural waste and failing infrastructure as the primary culprits for bacterial buildup. Nearly 10 trillion gallons of untreated stormwater runoff hit U.S. waterways each year. Add in 900 billion gallons of untreated sewage from aging systems, and it's a health hazard in the making. These beaches may look pristine, but the detected bacteria can cause rashes, stomach bugs, skin infections or worse. Raw sewage also feeds harmful algal blooms, kills fish and devastates coral reefs. Climate change only fuels the mess with rising seas and more intense storms overwhelming fragile systems. In 2024, Surfrider's Blue Water Task Force processed over 10,000 samples from 604 sites, with a shocking 80% showing high bacteria levels. Volunteers test water and trace pollutants, but they can't fix the root problems alone. That's why Surfrider is calling on Congress to stop slashing EPA funding and instead invest in clean water and resilient infrastructure. Clean, swimmable beaches shouldn't be a luxury—they should be a given. U.S. beaches with the highest levels of bacteria Waikomo Stream at Koloa Landing, Kauai, HI Kahalu'u, Kahalu'u, O'ahu, HI Imperial Beach - San Diego, CA San Luis Creek Mouth- Avila Beach, CA Linda Mar Beach - Pacifica, CA South Sound Thea Foss Floating Dock - Tacoma, WA Playa Crashboat - Aguadilla, PR Park View Kayak Launch - Miami Beach, FL Ballard Park - Melbourne, FL Windmill Beach - Sag Harbor, NY
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
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The breathtaking beaches beloved by Memorial Day tourists that harbor a grim diarrhea-inducing secret
With Memorial Day weekend just days away, many tourists and locals plan to enjoy the holiday at the beach, but a grim diarrhea-inducing secret hidden in the waters might make people think twice. A recent report by the Surfrider Foundation - an organization that sets out to 'improve coastal water quality' across the country - found that 10 beaches, including three in California alone, are 'bacteria hot spots.' The alarming results, which highlighted high bacteria levels in 2024, found that 80 percent of beaches and sampling sites produced 'at least one high bacteria result that exceeded state health standards.' Among the affected areas are body's of water on the West Coast, East Coast, as well as in Hawai'i and Puerto Rico. The detected bacteria is still in the process of being tested to further determine whether the polluted water is a result of human sewage or from animals like horses or dogs, Mara Dias, senior manager of the Water Quality Initiative at the Surfrider Foundation, told SF Gate. Sewage can cause a slew of adverse health issues, including diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms, rashes, skin and eye infections, other flu-like symptoms and even more severe illnesses like hepatitis. The Surfrider Foundation's Blue Water Task Force compiled results after 60 labs processed 10,210 water samples from 604 locations across the country, the study detailed. The beach that came in with the highest bacteria rate of 92 percent was Kahalu'u, O'ahu, Hawai'i. Another popular destination, Waikomo Stream at Koloa Landing - also located in the 50th state - came in second at 90 percent, according to the report. Park View Kayak Launch in Miami Beach, Florida also came in at 90 percent, research found. Meanwhile, Imperial Beach - a popular Bay Area destination - came in not far behind at 82 percent. Right behind came Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, California at 71 percent. The beach is specifically known as a popular west coast beauty spot and one of the largest in Pacifica. The sixth most infected body of water with a 64 percent high bacteria rate was South Sound Thea Foss Floating Dock in Tacoma, Washington. The tourist area measures at approximately three and one half miles just off Commencement Bay, adjacent from Tacoma's downtown area. Another Sunshine State location, Ballard Park, also measured at a high rate - 52 percent. Ballard Park is located in Melbourne, Florida and is part of a public park area that is situated on the Indian River Lagoon and the Eau Gallie River. Destinations known for warm weather nearly all year were not the only ones that ranked high for contamination as Windmill Beach in Sag Harbor, New York came in at 43 percent. The New York beach is located in the Hamptons - a popular summer destination for those on the east coast. Yet another California location made the startling list, as San Luis Creek Mouth in Avila Beach recorded 38 percent of high bacteria, the study found. Niel Dilworth, the San Luis Obispo Chapter Surfrider Foundation Chair and Blue Task Force Coordinator, said the number is still concerning for the location even though it came in as the lowest on the list. 'Avila Beach is one of the locations that has the ten most frequent exceedances, so it's not at the top of the list, but that's something to be concerned about,' Dilworth told KEYT. 'Two years in a row now, we've been on the list as one of the top ten or bottom ten, I guess, depending on how you want to think about it, for having one of the dirtiest beaches as far as bacteria is concerned.' Not only did the study bring alarming bacteria rates to light, but also highlighted a pressing struggle the non-profit is facing in relation to warning Americans about bacteria-infested waters across the nation. 'Unfortunately, the President's budget proposal for next year (FY2026) eliminates all funding for the EPA's BEACH Act Grants program that funds beach water quality monitoring and public notification programs in 35 coastal states and territories — which could leave families completely blind to pollution issues at America's beaches,' the organization said. They also urged people to join them in 'calling on Congress to reject the Trump administration's proposal to slash funding for the EPA and support robust funding for the BEACH Act and other clean water programs.' The group added: 'Everyone deserves to enjoy a fun day at the beach without worrying about getting sick from exposure to pollution.'
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Scientists racing to discover the depth of ocean damage sparked by the LA wildfires
LOS ANGELES — On a recent Sunday, Tracy Quinn drove down the Pacific Coast Highway to assess damage wrought upon the coastline by the Palisades Fire. The water line was darkened by ash. Burnt remnants of washing machines and dryers and metal appliances were strewn about the shoreline. Sludge carpeted the water's edge. Waves during high tide lapped onto charred homes, pulling debris and potentially toxic ash into the ocean as they receded. 'It was just heartbreaking,' said Quinn, president and CEO of the environmental group Heal the Bay, whose team has reported ash and debris some 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of the Palisades burn area west of Los Angeles. As crews work to remove potentially hundreds of thousands of tons of hazardous materials from the Los Angeles wildfires, researchers and officials are trying to understand how the fires on land have impacted the sea. The Palisades and Eaton fires scorched thousands of homes, businesses, cars and electronics, turning everyday items into hazardous ash made of pesticides, asbestos, plastics, lead, heavy metals and more. Since much of it could end up in the Pacific Ocean, there are concerns and many unknowns about how the fires could affect life under the sea. 'We haven't seen a concentration of homes and buildings burned so close to the water,' Quinn said. Fire debris and potentially toxic ash could make the water unsafe for surfers and swimmers, especially after rainfall that can transport chemicals, trash and other hazards into the sea. Longer term, scientists worry if and how charred urban contaminants will affect the food supply. The atmospheric river and mudslides that pummeled the Los Angeles region last week exacerbated some of those fears. When the fires broke out in January, one of Mara Dias' first concerns was ocean water contamination. Strong winds were carrying smoke and ash far beyond the blazes before settling at sea, said the water quality manager for the Surfrider Foundation, an environmental nonprofit. Scientists on board a research vessel during the fires detected ash and waste on the water as far as 100 miles (161 kilometers) offshore, said marine ecologist Julie Dinasquet with the University of California, San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Things like twigs and shard. They described the smell as electronics burning, she recalled, 'not like a nice campfire.' Runoff from rains also are a huge and immediate concern. Rainfall picks up contaminants and trash while flushing toward the sea through a network of drains and rivers. That runoff could contain 'a lot of nutrients, nitrogen and phosphate that end up in the ash of the burn material that can get into the water,' said Dias, as well as 'heavy metals, something called PAHs, which are given off when you burn different types of fuel.' Mudslides and debris flows in the Palisades Fire burn zone also can dump more hazardous waste into the ocean. After fires, the soil in burn scars is less able to absorb rainfall and can develop a layer that repels water from the remains of seared organic material. When there is less organic material to hold the soil in place, the risks of mudslides and debris flows increase. Los Angeles County officials, with help from other agencies, have set thousands of feet of concrete barriers, sandbags, silt socks and more to prevent debris from reaching beaches. The LA County Board of Supervisors also recently passed a motion seeking state and federal help to expand beach clean ups, prepare for storm runoff and test ocean water for potential toxins and chemicals, among other things. Beyond the usual samples, state water officials and others are testing for total and dissolved metals such as arsenic, lead and aluminum and volatile organic compounds. They also are sampling for microplastics, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, that are harmful to human and aquatic life, and polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, a group of man-made chemicals shown to cause cancer in animals and other serious health effects. Now banned from being manufactured, they were used in products like pigments, paints and electrical equipment. County public health officials said chemical tests of water samples last month did not raise health concerns, so they downgraded one beach closure to an ocean water advisory. Beachgoers were still advised to stay out of the water. Dinasquet and colleagues are working to understand how far potentially toxic ash and debris dispersed across the ocean, how deep and how fast they sunk and, over time, where it ends up. Forest fires can deposit important nutrients like iron and nitrogen into the ocean ecosystem, boosting the growth of phytoplankton, which can create a positive, cascading effect across the ecosystem. But the potentially toxic ash from urban coastal fires could have dire consequences, Dinasquet said. 'Reports are already showing that there was a lot of lead and asbestos in the ash,' she added. 'This is really bad for people so its probably also very bad for the marine organisms.' A huge concern is whether toxic contaminants from the fire will enter the food chain. Researchers plan to take tissue fragments from fish for signs of heavy metals and contaminants. But they say it will take a while to understand how a massive urban fire will affect the larger ecosystem and our food supply. Dias noted the ocean has long taken in pollution from land, but with fires and other disasters, 'everything is compounded and the situation is even more dire.'
