Taking a dip Labor Day weekend? Swimmers face fecal contamination at beaches along US coastline

OGUNQUIT Maine AP Thousands of Americans will head to beaches for one last summer splash this Labor Day weekend but taking a dip might be out of the question Multiple of the beaches will caution against swimming because of unsafe levels of fecal contamination Beaches from Crystal River Florida to Ogunquit Maine have been under advisories warning about water quality this week because of elevated levels of bacteria associated with fecal waste The advisories typically discourage beachgoers from going in the water because the bacteria can cause gastrointestinal illness rashes and nausea There have been closures this week at several of the country s the greater part popular beach destinations including Keyes Memorial Beach in the Cape Cod village of Hyannis in Barnstable Massachusetts Benjamin s Beach on Long Island in Bay Shore New York and a portion of the Imperial Beach shoreline near San Diego Even on the pristine white sand beaches of Hawaii the Hawaii State Department of Healthcare is warning of a high bacteria count at Kahaluu Beach Park on the Big Island It s a longstanding and widespread obstacle Nearly two-thirds of beaches tested nationwide in experienced at least one day in which indicators of fecal contamination reached potentially unsafe levels conservation group Climate America explained in a analysis issued this summer The group reviewed beaches on the coasts and Great Lakes and uncovered that of Gulf Coast beaches exceeded the standard at least once The number was for West Coast beaches for East Coast beaches and for Great Lakes beaches The assessment also commented more than beaches were potentially unsafe for swimming on at least percent of the days tested A key reason is outdated water and sewer systems that allows contamination from sewage to reach the places where people swim reported John Rumpler clean water director and senior attorney with Habitat America These beaches are a treasure for families across New England and across the country They are a shared reservoir commented Rumpler who is based in Boston We need to make the outlay to make sure that literally our own human waste doesn t wind up in the places where we are swimming Other factors have also played a role in contaminating beaches including increasingly severe weather that overwhelms sewage systems and suburban sprawl that paves over natural areas and reduces the ecosystem s ability to absorb stormwater Rumpler revealed But countless people plan to jump in the ocean anyway Despite a two-day warning of elevated fecal indicator bacteria last month at Rehoboth Beach Delaware beachgoer Yaromyr Oryshkevych was not concerned I really don t expect to be in any kind of danger of fecal contamination mentioned Oryshkevych a retired dentist He announced he didn t think Rehoboth was close enough to notable impurity to be concerned and he expected the ocean s natural currents to take care of any problems with contamination in the area Dana West a federal worker visiting Rehoboth Beach recalled an instance earlier this year where a dozen members of his vacationing party experienced gastrointestinal issues The characteristics occurred after they went on a snorkeling excursion an activity that increases the likelihood of swallowing seawater off the coast of Isla Mujeres Mexico It was an unpleasant experience but he doesn t expect a repeat this weekend in Delaware But generally I have no concerns about the level of fecal and bacterial matter commented West while admiring Rehoboth s shore I assume the local officers will tell us if there are higher levels than normal Despite West s confidence specific beaches in the area of Rehoboth including nearby Rehoboth Bay and Dewey Beach bayside were indeed under water advisories this week Such advisories are not reliably posted on masses signs Surroundings America assessed beach safety in its account by examining whether fecal bacteria levels exceeded standards set by the U S Environmental Protection Agency that trigger an alert to avoid the water Fecal bacteria at those levels can cause illness in out of every swimmers In North Carolina five beaches were under advisories in late August because of elevated levels of fecal bacteria The beaches are open but swimmers are advised that going in the water could be risky noted Erin Bryan-Millush environmental undertaking supervisor with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Hurricane Erin caused extensive erosion and storm surge in several coastal areas according to the Department of Environmental Quality Heavy rain events this summer also exacerbated the contamination difficulty in specific areas Bryan-Millush declared Those storm drains carry everything Bryan-Millush mentioned It could be really bad for someone who is immune compromised Lau released from Rehoboth Beach Delaware