Summertime and Fourth of July means barbecues, family, friends and beaches for most of us. But as people prepare to hit the sand, there’s nothing worse than taking a dip in polluted water. Have no fear, though, because last week, the Natural Resources Defense Council released its annual report on beach pollution, compiling results on 3,000 beaches to create a comprehensive list of the top 35 cleanest ones.
Contamination and pollution on public beaches across the country is a consistent problem. Most of it can be contributed to rain water, which, through its course over pavement, picks up different contaminants which are then transferred to the ocean water. A further problem is the water treatment facilities that handle storm water and sewage in the same system.
The Natural Resources Defense Council’s report used information on the pollution levels of the beaches surveyed from 2009 to 2013 to rank their cleanliness as well as offer solutions to clean up dirtier waters. In order to be a superstar beach, the location had to meet the water quality standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency. First, it could not exceed the 2009-2012 national water quality level by more than two percent. Second, it could not exceed the 2013 Beach Action Value water quality by more than two percent.
All of this sounds very scientific for most of us, but it can be boiled down simply. Beach Action Value is different from water quality level because it deals solely with beach quality and just acts as a guideline for when beach health warnings should be administered. It is a not a required criteria but can be used as a tool by the states. Therefore, superstar beaches were less than two percent above the EPA’s established safe water quality values.
Of the 35 top beaches, there are some standouts whose numbers were zero percent in every category for every year. Some of those include Long Beach City in New York, Back Bay Beach in Virginia, Dauphin Island Public Beach and Beach at Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in North Carolina, among others.
So before you grab your towel and sunscreen, be sure to check to see where your favorite beach falls in the rankings. See the full list of superstars and offenders at Next City.
MORE: A Roof That Can Clean the Air?
Tag: Department of Environmental Protection
The Big Apple’s Plan to Flush Out Old Commodes
Did you know that every single day, the average American flushes about 24 gallons of water down the toilet, which sets the country back $5 billion dollars annually? No one, especially those of us living in water-parched states, can afford to have this precious resource go down the drain.
While New York City isn’t experiencing the west’s horrific drought, the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) is doing its part in saving water and, yes, money.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the agency has launched a $23 million program to replace 200,000 toilets in 10,000 buildings with high-efficiency models. The city is planning to send $125 vouchers for eligible residents to purchase an EPA-certified high efficiency toilet from approved vendors.
MORE: The Surprising Way a Shower Could Save a Life
The measure is just more proof that it pays to be green. As the WSJ points out, older models go through five gallons of water per flush, while newer models use only 1.28 gallons each time the level is pushed. In all, NYC’s toilet replacement program has the potential to save about 10 million gallons of water each day — reducing city costs by $9 million a year.
New Yorkers will also get to save some hard-earned cash. According to SavewaterNY, homes with high efficiency toilets can save more than $90 annually on their water bill, and $2,000 over the lifetime of the toilets.
Those of you causing a stink about how low-flow toilets require multiple flushes, Angela Licata, the NYCDEP’s deputy commissioner for sustainability, told WSJ that the newer models are more effective.
ALSO: Forget About Mousetraps. Can We Build a Better Toilet?
Besides, as Licata said, “New Yorkers should not take the high-quality water supply for granted.” The Journal notes that the city is scheduled to shut down the Delaware Aqueduct (that supplies 60 percent of NYC’s water) for repairs in 2021 for up to 10 months.
New York City’s program isn’t something that’s completely unheard of. Last year, California became the first state in the country to require low-flow toilets in all residences and businesses.
Now just imagine if the whole country hopped on board. The EPA found that if every old, inefficient toilet in the nation was replaced with a more efficient model, we could save 520 billion gallons of water per year. Talk about a true watershed moment.