A recent study found many beaches, including some in Delaware, can have unhealthy levels of fecal bacteria in the water.
The study by the Environment America Research and Policy Center examines data from last year showing how often bacteria levels at beaches across the country exceeded the level at which the Environmental Protection Agency recommends swim advisories.
The study found seven of the 23 beach sites sampled in Delaware exceeded the EPA limit at least one day last year.
“Like most places, Delaware has some cases of runoff pollution and sewage overflows, and so those are major causes of the kind of fecal bacteria that we see,” said John Rumpler, Clean Water Program Director for the group conducting the study.
Rumpler is calling for the reauthorization of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. It funnels federal money toward local water infrastructure meant to reduce stormwater runoff.
“All of those heavy rains pick up the fecal bacteria as well as other toxic pollutants and they get swept into our waterways, but if we can use simple techniques to absorb that stormwater, we can prevent a lot of this pollution from flowing near our beaches,” said Rumpler.
The study found Slaughter beach exceeded the EPA bacteria limit the most of all Delaware beaches — 16 of the 25 days it was tested.
It also found the average Delaware beach was potentially unsafe for swimming on 5 percent of the days sampling took place.