Clean Water Report by Surfrider Foundation shows America's beach bacteria

Americans love the beach. Every year, more than 100 million beach visitors flock to us on the beach to enjoy sand, sunshine and water. Our beaches not only offer the possibility of calm and relaxation, but are also the basis for valuable tourism and ocean recreation industries that receive 2.5 million jobs nationwide and make a contribution 240 billion US dollars in the gross domestic product for the economy every year. Despite the inherent value of the coastal resources of our nation, the CDC estimates that more than 5 million people get sick every year by swimming in contaminated water.

Surfrider's data clearly show why: 80% of the beaches tested (483 of 604) exceeded the state health standards at least once in 2024, and 25% of all samples measured high bacterial values, compared to 22% in 2023.

Access to Surfrider's Clean Water Report here

Since the Surfrider Foundation was founded in 1984, improving coastal water quality has been one of the top priorities. Through his initiative Clean Water, Surfrider tries to protect water quality and reduce pollution, so that it is certain for you and your family to surf, swim and play in our marine and coastal waterways. The Blue Water Task Force of Surfrider is the largest voluntary beach water test program in the USA with a national network of 60 laboratories conducted by chapters that process over 10,000 water samples to measure bacterial values ​​at more than 600 locations across the country.

Almost 10 trillion gallons of untreated rainwater drainage flow every year in US waterways and carry a cocktail of pollutants, including street dust, oil, animal waste, fertilizers and other chemicals. After years of neglect and underfunding, the outdated sewage infrastructure of America was also covered in decay and the coastal water quality was threatened by emptying raw and under -treated waste water into our local waterways and ocean at a speed of over 900 billion gallons a year. This untreated waste water can contain bacteria, viruses and parasites that make people with gastrointestinal symptoms, rashes, skin and eye infections, flu-like symptoms and poorer diseases. Wastewater and rainwater drain also pollute the waterways with excess nutrients and devastate the coastal ecosystems by fueling harmful algae flowers that endanger human health and lead to fishing kills, coral reef dying and even the mass ripening of endangered sea kebabs in Floridas Indian River Lagoon.

“Every deserves access to clean water to surf, swim and play. That is why Surfrider supports for strong laws and sufficient funds to monitor and protect the water quality. We ensure that people have access to the information they need to protect themselves and the health of his families on the beach and in our coastal waterways” explains “” ” Mara slideSenior Manager from Surfrider's Water Quality Initiative. “If we see information gaps in state test programs that leave public health unprotected, we strive to cover these needs of the community with our program for monitoring water quality from Blue Water Force. If more collaborative approaches fail, the Surfrider Foundation has the know -how to ensure questions to the dishes to ensure the proper enforcement of the law about clean water, to protect clean water for all people. “

The Surfrider Foundation not only tests the water, but also leads the nationwide program for ocean -friendly gardens, which trains the municipalities and local civil servants about the measures that can be taken in meters and neighborhoods to reduce the amount of polluted drainage that flows into our waterways and into the ocean.

Rainwater drain has long been the main cause of beach closures and swimming facilities in the USA. Frequent extreme weather events along our coasts caused by climate change produce massive amounts of rainwater that overwhelm our wastewater systems, which leads to infrastructure gliders and wastewater accumulation with increasing frequency. Unfortunately, the president's budget proposal for the next year (GJ 2026) contains all funds for the beach law of EPA that financed the surveillance of the beach quality and public notification programs in 35 coastal states and territories – the families on the beaches of America could blindly leave problems for contamination. Now significant investments have to be made to manage our coastal communities for preparing more resistant and better in order to better manage our water resources because nobody should get sick to spend a day on the beach.

About the Surfrider Foundation:

The Surfrider Foundation is a non -profit basic organization that is devoted to the protection and enjoyment of the ocean, the waves and beaches of our world for all people by a strong activist network. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfer in Malibu, CaliforniaThe Surfrider Foundation now maintains over one million followers, activists and members with more than 200 chapters and student clubs in the USA and more than 900 victories that protect our coast. Find out more at Surfrider.org.

Source Surfrider Foundation