Good News for Summer: 13% Increase in the Number of Long Island Sound Beaches Recording Excellent Water Quality

As we head into the summer season, the number of Long Island beaches reporting excellent water quality is 13% higher than previous years, based on data released this month by nonprofit Save the Sound in the organization’s 2021 Long Island Sound Beach Report.

There’s particularly good news for Connecticut beach goers, as the report indicates significant improvement in water quality at beaches across the state from 2019 to 2020, the most recent data included in the 2021 report.  A total of 45 beaches in Connecticut received an A, and an array of beaches recorded a two-grade increase from last year.

The report records the water quality at 204 beaches on Long Island Sound using data from 2018-2020. In 2020, 111 beaches received an A for water quality, compared to only 84 beaches in 2019. Of the 204 beaches surveyed across Long Island Sound, 79% of them received grades of an A or B, and only 16% received C’s and D’s. The remaining 5% are not monitored enough to receive a grade.

Although the grades reflect significant improvement from previous years, officials urge there’s for more work to be done to improve water quality and avoid beach closures at beaches currently reporting low scores.

Among those showing marked improvements, Branford Point Beach, Altschuler Beach, Dawson Beach and Marnick’s Beach went from a C+ in 2019 to an A in 2020, and Shandy Beach and Calf Pasture Beach both went from a D+ in 2019 to a B in 2020.

Just in time for the summer season, the report names the top 10 public beaches in Connecticut for swimming, each of which have received an A+ for the past three consecutive years (2018-2020).

The collective increase in the number of beaches reporting excellent water quality across the Sound comes as a result of the local communities taking preventative actions to protect and restore their local beaches, guided, at least in part, by Save the Sound initiatives.

Members at Save the Sound have researched and compiled 15 years of data to determine the water pollution sources causing damage to the water quality at beaches across the Sound and have shared actions the community can take to prevent pollutants from entering their local water sources.

Officials at Save the Sound have found that swimmable water quality is highly variable by location, and pollution sources vary. Sources of pollution are local and can be addressed with local actions from the community. These preventative actions from the community have been pivotal in Save the Sound’s mission to protect and restore the beaches across the Sound.

To prevent rainwater run-off - which impacts beach water quality after heavy and even moderate rain - from polluting local beaches, Save the Sound members urged local communities across the Sound to invest in municipal sewage collection and treatment systems that receive timely repairs and maintenance. Officials also noted that climate change is likely to mean more rain for the region; therefore, it is crucial to invest in stormwater and sewage infrastructure to avoid dramatically accelerated beach closures across the region.

Connecticut U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy agreed, with Blumenthal stating that “Significantly more federal dollars are required to ensure that the Sound remains a vibrant, clean, and healthy place for all to enjoy. Investments to confront climate change and rising sea levels, to upgrade wastewater treatment facilities, and to reduce runoff from pesticides and fertilizers are even more crucial to protect and grow ecotourism that is such a vital part of our region’s economy.” 

Added Murphy: “The Long Island Sound is a critical asset to our state’s economy, and we have no choice but to protect it. Today’s report is good news for families as they head to the beach this summer, but we need to do more to clean up our beaches and improve water quality.”

For residents living in a community with combined sewage overflow, Save the Sound suggests adding green infrastructure storm water solutions to keep water that falls on their property out of storm drains. Upgrading to newer septic systems and making your home “rain friendly” to help rain water absorb into the ground are simple but highly effective solutions to improve the water quality of the local beaches.

In order to ensure the continued safety of beach goers, experts at Save the Sound test the water of the Sound beaches weekly during the swimming season. The samples taken measure the level of Entero, the EPA-recommended fecal-indicating bacteria. Results are posted to the organization’s website. 

Save the Sound is a member supported organization whose mission is to protect and improve the water, land and air of Connecticut and the Long Island Sound region.  To read the full beach report, view volunteer opportunities, or to see which beaches on the Sound are safe to visit based on their data, go to www.soundhealthexplorer.org

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This article was reported and written by Lauren Malenchini, a CT by the Numbers intern who attends Quinnipiac University.  More of her work can be seen at https://malenchinilauren.wixsite.com/my-site