BOSTON — Many sunbathers who want to take a dip in the cool water to escape the summer heat are being thwarted by high bacteria levels in water at popular beaches across Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported that 64 public beaches were closed as of Friday evening, mostly because of high levels of bacteria.
Beaches that were closed are in popular summer destinations including on the North Shore and South Shore.
Some of the high levels of bacteria in lakes and ponds can be linked to heavy rainfall that caused flooding and contamination, including agricultural runoff. That’s also contributing to problems in coastal waters.
Swimming in contaminated water can cause problems skin rashes to gastrointestinal and respiratory issues.
Environmental groups have called on Massachusetts officials to take steps to stop sewage overflows and pollution runoff.
Last year, 274 Massachusetts beaches were potentially unsafe for swimming on at least one testing day, according to Environment Massachusetts Research & Policy Center’s latest report on bacteria testing.
The full list of current beach closures can be viewed here.
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