Nearly two-thirds of U.S. beaches tested unsafe last year
Each summer, the shoreline offers its familiar promise — relief, play, and the ancient comfort of water — but this season, health officials across Iowa, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Washington state are asking Americans to look before they leap. Elevated bacteria levels, traced to aging sewage infrastructure, urban runoff, and industrial farming, have closed or restricted more than twenty beaches and lakes, a pattern that mirrors a 2024 finding that nearly two-thirds of U.S. beaches carry potentially unsafe contamination. The water, as it has always been, is shaped by what we pour into the land around it.
- More than twenty beaches across four states are closed or under advisory this summer, with E. coli and fecal bacteria turning familiar swimming holes into health hazards.
- The threat is not evenly shared — young children, elderly visitors, and immunocompromised swimmers face the gravest risks, including severe dehydration and complications from dangerous bacterial strains.
- The closures are not isolated incidents but echoes of a systemic failure: aging sewage systems, agricultural runoff, and urban drainage have left nearly two-thirds of U.S. beaches with unsafe contamination levels as recently as 2024.
- Washington state's situation carries a particular weight — several of its bacterial advisories are listed as permanent, suggesting contamination that has outlasted any single season.
- States are responding with real-time monitoring dashboards and hourly water quality updates, giving swimmers the tools to check conditions before they go — if they know to look.
This summer, health officials across Iowa, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Washington state are urging beachgoers to pause before entering the water. Elevated bacteria levels have forced closures and swimming advisories at more than twenty beaches and lakes — a pattern that reflects a contamination crisis running deeper than any single season. A 2024 report found that nearly two-thirds of U.S. beaches tested positive for potentially unsafe levels, with the sources well known: urban runoff, sewage overflows from aging infrastructure, and pathogens from industrial farming.
In Iowa, six beaches have been flagged as unsafe due to dangerous E. coli concentrations, with the state maintaining a real-time monitoring page to track conditions. Massachusetts has been hit especially hard, with multiple beaches closed this month alone due to high bacterial counts and toxic algae blooms; the state now updates its beach water quality dashboard hourly. New Jersey placed eight locations under advisory earlier this week, with one beach fully closed. Washington state's picture is the most sobering — several of its advisories are listed as permanent, and Lake Meridian Park in Kent is currently closed entirely.
E. coli, the bacterium behind many of these closures, is ordinarily harmless, but certain strains can cause serious illness — diarrhea, cramps, vomiting, and fever — with the gravest consequences falling on young children, elderly individuals, and those with weakened immune systems. Health departments are urging swimmers to consult local advisories before visiting. The water may look inviting, but its safety is no longer something that can be assumed.
Across the country this summer, state health officials are asking beachgoers to pause before wading in. Elevated bacteria levels have forced closures and swimming advisories at more than twenty beaches and lakes scattered across Iowa, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Washington state—a pattern that reflects a broader contamination problem affecting American waterways.
The warnings come against a troubling backdrop. Last year, the Environment America Research & Policy Center found that nearly two-thirds of U.S. beaches tested positive for potentially unsafe contamination levels in 2024. The culprits are familiar: urban runoff carrying fecal matter, sewage overflows from aging infrastructure, and pathogens from industrial farming operations all find their way into the water where people swim.
In Iowa, the Department of Natural Resources has flagged six beaches as unsafe due to dangerous E. coli concentrations. Backbone Beach, Pine Lake South Beach, Geode Lake Beach, Union Grove Beach, Pleasant Creek Beach, and Nine Eagles Beach are all off-limits to swimmers. The state maintains an online monitoring page that updates the status of its beaches in real time, marking each as either safe for swimming, not recommended, closed, or awaiting sufficient data.
Massachusetts has been hit particularly hard. This month alone, officials closed multiple beaches to swimming, including Damon Pond Beach, both beaches at Cliff Pond in Cochituate State Park, College Pond, both Fearings Pond beaches, Forest River, and Juniper Point. The closures stem from high bacterial counts, toxic blue-green algae blooms, and other water quality concerns. The state's Department of Public Health now operates an interactive dashboard that updates beach water quality information hourly throughout the swimming season.
New Jersey saw eight beaches and lakes placed under swimming advisories earlier this week due to elevated fecal bacteria, with one location—Beesley's Point Beach—fully closed. The affected sites include Ferry and Bay, Baywyn and Bay, Wildwood and Bay, Cedar Point Beach, Beachwood Beach West, Mirror Lake, Sleepy Lagoon, and Vernon Valley Lake.
Washington state's situation is particularly concerning because several of its advisories are listed as permanent. The state's official beach advisory map shows elevated bacteria at Freeland County Park and Holmes Harbor, Walker County Park, Squaxin Park, Little Squalicum Park, West Bay Park, and Thea Foss Waterway. Lake Meridian Park in Kent is currently closed due to high bacteria levels.
E. coli, the bacterium driving many of these closures, is normally harmless—it's a natural part of a healthy digestive system. But certain strains can trigger serious illness, particularly in vulnerable populations: very young children, elderly people, and those with compromised immune systems. Infection can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting, and fever. In severe cases, it leads to dehydration and complications that require medical attention.
State health departments are urging swimmers to check local water-quality advisories before heading to the beach. For those planning a summer visit, the message is clear: the water you're about to enter may not be as safe as it looks.
Citas Notables
Certain strains of E. coli can cause serious health problems to some people, such as the very young, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems— Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why are we seeing so many closures all at once this summer? Is this new?
It's not entirely new—the research shows nearly two-thirds of beaches were already contaminated last year. But the visibility is sharper now. States are testing more frequently and publishing the results in real time, so what was always happening is now impossible to ignore.
What's actually getting into the water?
Mostly sewage and runoff from cities. Old pipes overflow when it rains. Factory farms contribute pathogens. Urban stormwater carries everything from streets and parking lots straight into lakes and bays. It's infrastructure failure meeting natural systems.
Is E. coli the only concern?
No. The Massachusetts closures mention toxic blue-green algae blooms too. But E. coli is the marker—it signals fecal contamination, which means other dangerous pathogens could be present as well.
Who's actually at risk?
Technically anyone can get sick, but the real danger is to children, the elderly, and people whose immune systems are already compromised. For them, a swim can mean hospitalization. For others, it might just be a bad day.
What are people supposed to do?
Check the dashboards before you go. Massachusetts updates hourly. Iowa has a status page. Washington posts permanent advisories. It's become part of summer planning now—like checking the weather.
Does this get fixed?
Only if the infrastructure gets fixed. That means replacing old pipes, upgrading treatment plants, regulating factory farms. It's expensive and slow. In the meantime, people stay out of the water.