Latest news with #CleanWater
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Report identifies 10 US beaches that are ‘hotspots' for bacteria
(NEXSTAR) – If you can't visit one of the country's best beaches, it might be wise to at least avoid some of the most bacteria-ridden. The annual Clean Water report from the Surfrider Foundation aims to raise awareness for the importance of water quality monitoring by calling out some of America's 'beach bacteria hotspots.' The non-profit organization, together with volunteers from its Blue Water Task Force (BWTF), gathered data for the latest edition of its annual report over the last year, collecting water samples from beaches from coast to coast, and from Puerto Rico and Hawaii. 'Across the country, Surfrider's BWTF volunteers are committed to measuring water quality conditions at the beaches they love and rallying their communities around protecting clean water for future generations to enjoy,' the organization wrote in its report. 'Dr. Beach' ranks 10 best US beaches of 2025 Analysts with the Surfrider Foundation studied more than 10,120 samples from 604 beaches and recreational water areas in 2024 (the BWTF collects samples year-round), identifying those that exceeded their states' standards for acceptable bacteria levels. Certain beaches that were found to have high percentages of samples that exceeded acceptable bacterial levels were deemed 'bacteria hotspots' by Surfrider. 'Each location regularly shows dangerous levels of fecal-indicator bacteria tied to human illnesses, including gastrointestinal issues, flu-like symptoms, and serious skin conditions like MRSA and staph infections,' the Clean Water report reads. It's important to note, however, that Surfrider's BWTF partners did not collect data from all beaches across the U.S. A map included with the annual report shows large swaths of the Northeast and Southeast coasts — in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, South Carolina and Georgia — where no samples were collected. Very few were collected along the Gulf region, too. Surfrider said its workers and volunteers are continually expanding its sampling efforts. That said, beaches and recreational water areas identified as 'hotspots' based on Surfrider's 2024 samples include: Windmill Beach — Sag Harbor, New York Ballard Park — Melbourne, Florida Park View Kayak Launch — Miami Beach, Florida Playa Crash Boat — Aguadilla, Puerto Rico South Sound Thea Foss Floating Dock — Tacoma, Washington Linda Mar Beach — Pacifica, California San Luis Creek Mouth — Avila Beach, California Imperial Beach — San Diego, California Kahalu'u Kahalu'u — Oahu, Hawaii Waikomo Stream at Koloa Landing — Poipu, Kauai, Hawaii Record number of travelers hit the road for Memorial Day weekend Surfrider, in its report, also advocated for funding to continue the Environmental Protection Agency's BEACH Act grants, which are provided to pay for water-monitoring programs. As seen in a recent letter to the Secretary of Appropriations, the Trump administration is calling on major cuts to the EPA, which could hinder the work done to monitor and maintain water quality, according to Surfrider. The non-profit says such a move 'could leave families completely blind to pollution issues at America's beaches.' More information about Surfrider's findings, including its history and methodology, can be found in the organization's official website and annual report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Otego to get $3.9 million for water projects
The village of Otego is among municipalities getting state funding for water projects. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday, May 22 that the Environmental Facilities Corporation Board of Directors approved more than $37 million in financial assistance for water infrastructure improvement projects across the state. "The board's approval authorizes municipal access to low-cost financing and previously announced grants to get shovels in the ground for critical water and sewer infrastructure projects, from treatment processes to remove emerging contaminants from drinking water, to replacing lead service lines and modernizing aging systems," a news release from Hochul's office said. 'This is how you lead: invest boldly, move fast and protect your people,' Hochul said. 'This $37 million investment jumpstarts critical projects to fix aging pipes, tackle emerging contaminants and upgrade infrastructure, all while keeping costs down for communities and creating good-paying local jobs.' Otego will get $3.9 million in grants for the installation of a redundant production well, replacement of asbestos-lined pipe and exposed water main, relocation of a well house treatment building to a higher elevation, replacement of a booster pump station, and the installation of a tank mixer, according to the release. EFC's board approved grants and financing to local governments from the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds — a mix of federal and state dollars dedicated to financing community water infrastructure projects. State Revolving Fund interest rates are below market rate, and with long repayment periods, and communities may save significantly on debt service compared to traditional financing, the release stated. State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, 'This latest round of funding means critical infrastructure projects will be affordable to municipalities looking to protect their communities without breaking the bank. Through our Bureau of Water Supply Protection, the Department of Health will continue to work with our state and local partners to protect the health and safety of New Yorkers by providing technical assistance and monitoring for emerging contaminants, lead and other chemicals.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Bay Area beach ranked as bacteria 'hot spot'
PACIFICA, Calif. - We've reported on this before, but unfortunately for beach-goers, a popular Bay Area beach has once again made this top 10 list for the wrong reasons. What we know Pacifica's Linda Mar Beach weighs in at number 6 for the Surfrider's 2024 Beach Bacteria Hot Spots list. The organization's Clean Water report came out this week ahead of the busy Memorial Day holiday. The Surfrider Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the world's coasts and the protection of the oceans. They say as many as 100 million people flock to U.S. beaches each year. In 2024, Surfrider Foundation's Blue Water Task Force processed more than 10,000 water samples from 604 distinct sampling sites. One of those sites was the relaunched site at their Sonoma Coast Chapter. The task force monitors sources of pollution, including stormwater outlets, rivers and creeks that discharge onto the beach. The group said last year as many as 80% of the beaches from their sampling sites yielded high bacteria results that exceeded state health standards. While they argue it is important to continue this type of monitoring, the organization notes that the Trump administration's projected budget cuts for fiscal year 2026 eliminate all funding for the Environmental Protection Agency's BEACH Act grant program that funds beach water quality monitoring along with the public notifications that accompany the results of sampling if levels are hazardous. The Surfrider Foundation has put out a call to tell Congress to reject these budget cuts. The following is the Surfrider's top 10 list for 2024 Beach Bacteria Hot Spots. The list shows the location and the high bacteria rate. Windmill Beach, Sag Harbor, New York - 43% Ballard Park, Melbourne, Florida - 52% Park View Kayak Launch, Miami Beach, Florida - 90% Playa Crashboat, Aguadillia, Puerto Rico - 23% South Sound Thea Foss Floating Dock, Tacoma, Washington - 64% Linda Mar Beach, Pacifica, California - 71% San Luis Creek Mouth, Avila Beach, California - 38% Imperial Beach, San Diego, California - 82% Kahalu'u, Kahalu'u, O'ahu, Hawai'i - 92% Waikomo Stream at Koloa Landing, Poipu, Kaua'i, Hawai'i - 90% According to Surfrider's Blue Water Task Force, the table above shows 10 priority beaches that are consistently measured for high bacteria levels. The percentages suggest the samples collected have bacteria levels that exceed the state health standard for recreational waters. "These popular recreational braces pose real health risks to swimmers, surfers and families. Each location regularly shows dangerous levels of fecal-indicator bacteria tied to human illnesses, including gastrointestinal issues, flu-like symptoms, and serious skin conditions like MRSA and staph infections," the Clean Water Report states. The organization's San Mateo County chapter is raising awareness about the hazardous conditions at Linda Mar Beach by joining a coalition of environmental and surfing groups to investigate the source of the pollution in the San Pedro Creek, which flows into the Pacific Ocean at this beach. KTVU reported in 2023 that enterococcus, a bacterium commonly found in fecal matter, made up an overwhelming majority of samples taken from that year. The EPA doesn't typically consider enterococcus harmful, but it is a common cause for urinary tract infections, according to the National Institute of Health.
New York Post
18-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Suffolk County is full of crap — but taxpayers just flushed $3.8M into solving the problem
Some 70% of Suffolk County homes and businesses still rely on cesspools — but officials are planning to shell out millions to plug those properties into the municipal sewer system. County Executive Ed Romaine revealed plans to jumpstart a slew of projects with $3.8 million this year alone to modernize the sewer system, and ultimately recycle treated water to irrigate golf courses and other green spaces. 'We're addressing this crisis with sewer systems that don't just pump wastewater out to the ocean or the Sound — but systems that actually treat it properly and help protect our aquifer,' Romaine told The Post. Advertisement County Executive Ed Romaine revealed plans to jumpstart a slew of projects with $3.8 million this year alone to modernize the sewer system. Newsday via Getty Images The Republican explained that cesspools and septic tanks aren't just outdated — they're dangerous to Long Islanders. When waste sits underground for too long, it can seep into the soil and contaminate the aquifer beneath us, which is where the county gets all of its drinking water, and when that water gets tainted by human waste, it puts the entire region's health and safety at risk. Advertisement The new system, however, has no timetable to be completed and could take years. Romaine is now hoping the state and federal government will pitch in for the projects. Romaine explained that cesspools and septic tanks aren't just outdated — they're dangerous to Long Islanders. kaliantye – Suffolk hasn't seen a dime from the $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act — a massive state fund voters approved back in 2022 to help pay for exactly this kind of infrastructure, the executive said. Advertisement Romaine also told The Post that Suffolk County has not received any money the state was supposed to allocate from former President Joe Biden's $1 trillion infrastructure bill. 'If we have to, we will do this by ourselves,' Romaine told The Post about the possibility of receiving no state or federal funds. 'But it is a shame that the state would abandon Suffolk County in its time of need for environmental purposes,' he added. Gov. Kathy Hochul's office was not immediately available for comment.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Health department offering free water tests and sewer evaluations
The Ashtabula County Health Department is providing free water tests and sewer system evaluations for county residents. ACHD Director of Environmental Health Randall Barnes said the free tests and evaluations are being funded by a $50,000 clean water grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. County residents get roughly $200 worth of free services from the health department, Barnes said. Sewage inspections usually cost $150, and water tests normally cost $50, he said. To apply for the free test and evaluation, county residents can call 440-576-6010 and dial 3, or they can go to the health department's website, go to the environmental tab and click on Clean Water Ashtabula County. Barnes encouraged county residents to sign up. 'It's a great opportunity to get a free water test and sewage evaluation,' he said. Barnes said people should consider applying if their property contains sandy or gravelly soil, which contaminated water can permeate more easily. 'I encourage people to take advantage,' he said. 'There's no strings attached.' Barnes said around 60 people have signed up so far, and the health department has identified around 12 sewage issues, from broken pumps to sewage backing up into houses. The health department has sent out around 14,500 flyers about the program across the county promoting the program, he said. The free water test will look for contaminants like coliform bacteria, including e coli. Roughly half of Ashtabula County homes rely on wells, Barnes said. 'These hand-dug wells are susceptible to contamination,' he said. The sewer system evaluation will look for both major and minor issues in sewer systems. If major issues are found with a septic system, Barnes said the health department will send an inspection form to the county Department of Planning and Community Development. Barnes said the inspection form can allow residents to qualify for grant-funded assistance from the Department of Planning and Community Development to deal with failing septic systems. 'People will not be required to replace their sewage system because of this evaluation,' he said. Barnes said help from the department is first come, first serve because they have limited grant funding. Barnes said having a well-maintained sewage system is important for keeping the surrounding environment clean. 'Your sewage system is an investment, as well,' he said. Barnes compared not cleaning and taking care of your sewer system to not changing the oil on your car, saying a major sewage issue could bring down its worth. Barnes said taking care of your sewer system saves money in the long term.
