While reading your story about York County’s new mobile alert system for beach safety (July 5), I was reminded of another health hazard in places we love to swim and surf: nasty bacteria in the water. Our research partners found that 78% of tested Maine coastal beaches had potentially unsafe levels of fecal matter on one or more days tested in 2024. Swimming in such contaminated water can cause gastrointestinal illnesses, respiratory diseases, ear infections and skin rashes.
Common sources of this pathogen pollution include sewer overflows and stormwater runoff. To stop this threat to the health of Mainers and tourists alike, we must repair and improve our wastewater infrastructure. To learn more, including how to stay up to date on water quality alerts this summer, check out our new Safe for Swimming report.
Rohin Gast
Summer Associate, Environment Maine Research and Policy Center
Boston, Mass.
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