California is famous for its beautiful beaches, but one beach is making headlines for the wrong reasons. Imperial Beach, located in San Diego County, has been named the dirtiest beach in the state and one of the worst in the entire U.S. due to very high bacteria levels.
According to the Surfrider Foundation’s Clean Water Report, Imperial Beach showed 82% bacteria contamination in the water. The group tested over 10,000 water samples from 604 locations across the U.S., and Imperial Beach ranked as a major pollution hotspot.
Why Is It So Dirty?
The pollution mostly comes from sewage flowing from the Tijuana River in Mexico. The city has known about this problem for years, and things have gotten worse since 2017. Due to high levels of bacteria and sewage, the beach is currently closed.
What’s Being Done?
Imperial Beach is asking for help from the state and national government, requesting emergency funds and action to fix the problem. But so far, all their emergency requests have been denied. The city is encouraging people to report bad smells and health issues so they can use the data to push for help.
The Surfrider Foundation says,
“Everyone deserves to enjoy a fun day at the beach without worrying about getting sick.”
Other Polluted Beaches
Other dirty beach spots listed in the report include:
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Windmill Beach in Sag Harbor, New York
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Ballard Park in Melbourne, Florida
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Kahaluu in Oahu, Hawaii
The foundation continues to work hard to protect clean water across the country.
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