Environment America released their annual Safe for Swimming? report, which analyzes beach safety based on water quality data. In Massachusetts, 264 beaches were found to have at least one testing day with potentially unsafe levels of bacteria, with King's Beach in Lynn testing most frequently for unsafe water quality. The report used the EPA's "Beach Action Value" to determine risk level to swimmers.
On July 12, Environment Massachusetts Research & Policy Center State Director Ben Hellerstein and Mass Rivers Policy Specialist Katharine Lange spoke to reporters at Malibu Beach in Dorchester about the report and how the state can improve water quality.
“In the last few decades, we’ve made significant progress in cleaning up our waterways — but pollution is still plaguing too many of the places where we swim," said Hellerstein. “Now is the time to fix our water infrastructure and stop the flow of pathogens to our beaches.”