A California beach has topped a most-polluted list after researchers sampled water from beaches across the US, Vancouver, Puerto Rico, and Costa Rica.
Researchers at the Surfrider Foundation took samples from beaches across the test countries and territory. They found that California was home to three of the US’s most polluted beaches.
What Pollution Researchers Found
Researchers at the Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit environmentalist group, collected 9,538 water samples from 567 sites.
The researchers at the Foundation found that nearly two-thirds of the beaches tested had at least one sample that recorded unsafe bacteria levels.
Where is America’s Most Polluted Beach?
After testing 567 beaches, researchers found the most polluted beach in their studies to be Imperial Beach in San Diego.
Alongside Nawiliwili Stream at Kalapaki Bay in Hawaii, Imperial Beach was one of two beaches tested where every water sample recorded dangerously high bacteria levels.
Is Mexico To Blame?
Imperial Beach has been closed for over 900 days owing to sewage runoff from the Tijuana River. In 2022, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that “a crumbling wastewater plant south of the border is daily discharging millions of gallons of raw sewage into the ocean that routinely carry pathogens up the coast.”
Before the beach closed, it is believed that the pollution present in the water led to thousands catching norovirus – a stomach bug that causes vomiting and diarrhoea.
Beach Pollution Prompts Calls For Emergency
This new research about beach pollution in California and beyond has prompted more calls for immediate action. Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre has renewed her call for Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency in the area.
“We are asking our Governor to declare a state of emergency in order to accelerate the diversion and treatment of the Tijuana River, the primary source of pollution to our south San Diego communities”, said Aguirre. “Without a state of emergency, we are five to ten years out before we see relief,” Aguirre added.
How Did Other Beaches Fare?
Of the 10 beaches found to have the worst pollution levels, three were in California. These are Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica and San Luis Creek Mouth – as well as Pacifica Beach, of course.
Of the remaining seven worst offenders, two were found in Hawaii and another two were found in Florida. Puerto Rico, New York and Washington each had one.
How Dangerous is Imperial Beach’s Bacteria?
After being linked to thousands of cases of the norovirus stomach bug, Imperial Beach was closed to protect the safety of local residents over 900 days ago.
However, the closure of the San Diego beach has not fully eliminated the health risk – with toxins continuing to contaminate the air. South Bay Urgent Care in Imperial Beach said that in the past year, the number of patients needing breathing treatments grew by 140%.
Locals React Furiously on Social Media
Residents of Imperial Beach have long been railing against the pollution on the beach, with one local social media user complaining that Imperial Beach would be “such a nice place if it weren’t so dirty”.
Meanwhile, someone else commented that the Beach “has had this issue for years, but it has gotten worse recently and there’s no political will to help the people of Imperial Beach.”
Who Are The Surfrider Foundation?
Surfrider Foundation is an environmentalist non-profit that was founded 40 years ago in Malibu. The foundation’s focuses include sustaining marine life, improving ecosystems, and ensuring safe water quality.
The Surfrider Foundation’s website says the non-profit is “dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves, and beaches, for all people, through a powerful activist network.”
Staying Safe
Mara Dias, Surfrider senior manager for the Clean Water Initiative, says the organization’s new research offers “a measure of… safety for swimming or surfing,”
The LA Times, paraphrasing Dias, advised “beachgoers to avoid going into the water for 72 hours after it rains in California, to pay attention to local pollution advisories, and to wash their hands and rinse off with fresh water after swimming.”
