AUSTIN, TX (KXAN) – An environmental group warned this month some Texas beaches could be unsafe for swimming.
According to the July 5 Environment America report, Safe for Swimming, 61 Texas beaches were tested for fecal bacteria in 2022.
The group said it examined whether fecal indicator bacteria levels exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) most protective “Beach Action Value,” which is associated with an estimated illness rate of 32 out of every 1,000 swimmers.
The report found 55 Texas beaches had potentially unsafe levels of fecal indicator bacteria on at least one testing day.
8 Texas beaches had potentially unsafe levels on more than 25% of the days tested.
Beach NameCountyPercentage of potentially
unsafe test daysCole ParkNueces54%Ropes ParkNueces41%Poenish ParkNueces38%Corpus Christi MarinaNueces36%Padre Bali ParkNueces29%Texas City DikeGalveston28%University BeachNueces27%25th StreetGalveston26%Beaches where fecal indicator bacteria levels exceeded EPA “Beach Action Value” on more than 25% of days tested in 2022. (Source: Environment America)
Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas, told KXAN Tuesday the bacteria comes from polluted runoff and sewage. He said both Houston and Corpus Christi are under federal consent decrees to upgrade their aging sewer systems after thousands of clean water violations.
Another source of fecal bacteria is livestock. Rainfall washes excess livestock manure into nearby waterways. Metzger said the runoff also brings in animal waste from the droppings people don’t pick up when they walk their dogs.
Scientists estimate 57 million instances of people getting sick each year in the U.S. from swimming in oceans, lakes, rivers, and ponds, the report said. Those illnesses can include nausea, diarrhea, ear infections, and rashes.
Nicole Powers, a researcher of bacterial contamination at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, advised that “it is important to do what you can to protect yourself against potential fecal contamination in recreational waters; for instance, check Texas Beach Watch for recent water quality trends, and avoid getting in the water with open wounds on your skin or near storm drain outfalls.”
According to Environment Texas, the report recommends investments to stop sewage overflows and runoff pollution. Metzger told KXAN Texas got $80 million in upgrading wastewater infrastructure thanks to the federal infrastructure bill passed in 2021. The bipartisan infrastructure law not only directly provided $11.7 billion for sewage and stormwater projects but also authorized an additional $14.65 billion for that purpose. Yet according to Environment Texas, the EPA estimates the actual need is $271 billion.
AUSTIN, TX (KXAN) – An environmental group warned this month some Texas beaches could be unsafe for swimming.
According to the July 5 Environment America report, Safe for Swimming, 61 Texas beaches were tested for fecal bacteria in 2022.
The group said it examined whether fecal indicator bacteria levels exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) most protective “Beach Action Value,” which is associated with an estimated illness rate of 32 out of every 1,000 swimmers.
The report found 55 Texas beaches had potentially unsafe levels of fecal indicator bacteria on at least one testing day.
8 Texas beaches had potentially unsafe levels on more than 25% of the days tested.
Beach NameCountyPercentage of potentially
unsafe test daysCole ParkNueces54%Ropes ParkNueces41%Poenish ParkNueces38%Corpus Christi MarinaNueces36%Padre Bali ParkNueces29%Texas City DikeGalveston28%University BeachNueces27%25th StreetGalveston26%Beaches where fecal indicator bacteria levels exceeded EPA “Beach Action Value” on more than 25% of days tested in 2022. (Source: Environment America)
Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas, told KXAN Tuesday the bacteria comes from polluted runoff and sewage. He said both Houston and Corpus Christi are under federal consent decrees to upgrade their aging sewer systems after thousands of clean water violations.
Another source of fecal bacteria is livestock. Rainfall washes excess livestock manure into nearby waterways. Metzger said the runoff also brings in animal waste from the droppings people don’t pick up when they walk their dogs.
Scientists estimate 57 million instances of people getting sick each year in the U.S. from swimming in oceans, lakes, rivers, and ponds, the report said. Those illnesses can include nausea, diarrhea, ear infections, and rashes.
Nicole Powers, a researcher of bacterial contamination at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, advised that “it is important to do what you can to protect yourself against potential fecal contamination in recreational waters; for instance, check Texas Beach Watch for recent water quality trends, and avoid getting in the water with open wounds on your skin or near storm drain outfalls.”
According to Environment Texas, the report recommends investments to stop sewage overflows and runoff pollution. Metzger told KXAN Texas got $80 million in upgrading wastewater infrastructure thanks to the federal infrastructure bill passed in 2021. The bipartisan infrastructure law not only directly provided $11.7 billion for sewage and stormwater projects but also authorized an additional $14.65 billion for that purpose. Yet according to Environment Texas, the EPA estimates the actual need is $271 billion.