Is your favorite Maryland beach safe for swimming? Here's a look.

1 year ago 6

In 2022, 55% of the 3,192 tested beaches across the U.S. experienced at least one day on which fecal contamination reached potentially unsafe levels.

MARYLAND, USA — With temperatures rising, more and more people are heading to the beach for some fun in the sun, but how safe are our favorite spots? According to an Environment America report, some of Maryland's waters might not be as safe as some would hope.

In 2022, 55% of the 3,192 tested beaches across the U.S. experienced at least one day on which fecal contamination reached potentially unsafe levels – that is, exceeding EPA’s most protective “Beach Action Value.” This is a precautionary tool that states can use to make beach notification decisions.

And 363 beaches – which is around one out of every nine beaches tested – had potentially unsafe levels of fecal contamination on at least 25% of the days on which testing took place.

In Maryland, there were 65 beaches tested for fecal indicator bacteria last year. On at least one testing day, of those beaches, 41 or 63% of them showed potentially unsafe levels of fecal indicator bacteria. Eleven or 17% of the tested beaches showed potentially unsafe levels on more than 25% of all days tested.

Here are the Maryland beaches that had the most potentially unsafe days in 2022:

Elk Neck State Park North East River in Cecil County; 54% of potentially unsafe test days
Ferry Park in Kent County; 55% of potentially unsafe test days
Flag Ponds in Calvert County; 40% of potentially unsafe test days
Cape St. Claire at Persimmon Point in Anne Arundel County; 33% of potentially unsafe test days
Tolchester Estates Beach in Kent County; 33% of potentially unsafe test days
Flag Harbor in Calvert County; 30% of potentially unsafe test days
Tolchester Marina and Beach in Kent County; 30% of potentially unsafe test days
North Point State Park in Baltimore County; 27% of potentially unsafe test days
Breezy Point in Calvert County; 18% of potentially unsafe test days
Mayo Beach Park in Anne Arundel; 17% of potentially unsafe test days

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