![What Are America’s Cleanest and Dirtiest Beaches?](http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/tsminteractive.com/files/2012/06/beach-closed-300x200.jpg?w=980&q=75)
What Are America’s Cleanest and Dirtiest Beaches?
If you’re planning a waterfront vacation, it may alarm you to know that a new report reveals sewage and storm water pollution in beaches across the US could put your health at risk — and you might be surprised to learn which beaches are the cleanest.
Bacterial test results and public advisories from more than 3,000 beaches in 30 coastal and Great Lakes states were analyzed by the Natural Resources Defense Council, which found that Delaware, New Hampshire, North Carolina, New Jersey and Florida had America’s cleanest beaches.
At the bottom of the pile? Louisiana, Ohio and Illinois. And California, long renowned for its beach fun, didn’t fare much better — it ranked No. 21 out of the 30 states in the number of beach water tests that failed to meet federal health standards.
Experts say a high bacteria count in beach water indicates it could harbor pathogens that may cause ailments like skin rashes and stomach and respiratory illnesses.
“We have an ongoing legacy of pollution at our beaches, and the problem is not going away,” said Noah Garrison, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council’s national water program. “We need to be doing more to solve the problem.”
More From Newstalk KGVO 1290 AM & 98.3 FM
![The Perfect Montana Summer Cocktail Recipe](http://townsquare.media/site/13/files/2020/07/attachment-helena-yankovska-7EbGkOm8pWM-unsplash.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Parents Aren’t Loving New Start and Release Times for Missoula’s 2021-2022 School Year](http://townsquare.media/site/117/files/2021/07/attachment-RS33404_ThinkstockPhotos-483257790.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Gas Prices In Montana Have Gone Up 24 Cents A Gallon In The Last Month](http://townsquare.media/site/119/files/2019/04/GettyImages-875117164-1.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![UM President Talks Fall Enrollment, Says He Expects Slightly Lower Numbers](http://townsquare.media/site/119/files/2016/10/IMG_7623.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Animal Adaptations at Frenchtown Pond](http://townsquare.media/site/116/files/2018/07/RS4849_78753694.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Chicks N’ Chaps Golf Tournament](http://townsquare.media/site/117/files/2016/07/P7010101.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Glacier National Park Sends Out Plows, Still Over A Foot Of Snow Covering The Roads](http://townsquare.media/site/119/files/2015/08/150957826.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Application Period Open to Play Music at Out to Lunch and Downtown Tonight](http://townsquare.media/site/108/files/2016/09/caras-park.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Montana Ski Town Roiled By White Supremacist ‘Troll Army’](http://townsquare.media/site/119/files/2015/02/whitefish-mountain-big-mountain-jpg-1.jpg?w=980&q=75)