Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): “NRDC’s annual survey of water quality and public notification at U.S. beaches finds that pollution caused the number of beach closings and advisories to hit their second-highest level in the 18-year history of the report. The number of 2007 closing and advisory days at ocean, bay, and Great Lakes beaches topped 20,000 for the third consecutive year, confirming that our nation’s beaches continue to suffer from serious water pollution that puts swimmers at risk.

Aging and poorly designed sewage and stormwater systems hold much of the blame for beachwater pollution. The number of closing and advisory days due to sewage spills and overflows more than tripled to 4,097 from 2006 to 2007, but the largest known source of pollution continues to be contamination from stormwater, which caused more than 10,000 closing and advisory days in 2007. Unknown sources of pollution caused more than 8,000 closing and advisory days.” [thanks TM]

• Summary of findings
• Beach Pollution FAQ
• Guide to Finding a Clean Beach
• Full Report: Testing the Waters – A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches – Eighteenth Edition, August 2008