Are Texas beaches bacteria-ridden? See new report findings
Texas beaches do not always have the bluest water in the country, but does that mean they’re clean to swim in?
The Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit environmental organization, recently released its 2024 Clean Water Report. The report highlights 10 beaches across the U.S. and Puerto Rico that are especially bacteria-ridden.
Sixty different Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) labs across the U.S., British Columbia and Puerto Rico tested more than 600 water sites for the study. The report found 80% of all overall samples yielding “at least one high bacteria result that exceeded state health standards.”
“The majority of the water samples that failed to meet health standards were collected from freshwater sources, such as rivers, creeks, and estuaries, that are influenced by stormwater runoff, or at beaches near these outlets,” according to the 2024 Clean Water Report.
“These results are consistent with national trends, which show that stormwater runoff is the number one cause of beach closures and swimming advisories in the U.S. Stormwater can wash chemicals and other pollutants from streets and lawns into local waterways and down to the beach.”
Did Texas beaches have high bacteria-ridden waters?
.Luckily, no Texas beaches were ranked in Surfrider’s 2024 Beach Bacteria Hot Spots.
In fact, the Texas Costal Bend BWTF, which began three years ago, was highlighted in the report for their efforts.
“So far, the results of the Texas Coastal Bend BWTF program have been generally clean,” said the Clean Water Report. “There have been a few instances of elevated bacterial levels after heavy rains.”
The BWTF Texas chapter consistently tests the water bacteria in Port Aransas and the Texas Coastal Bend as well as the salinity, turbidity, and pH of the water to gather more information about environmental conditions.
If the water quality is ever unsafe, the chapter quickly alerts the public through alerts. Beachgoers can monitor alerts through the Texas Coastal Bend BWTF Facebook.
Where are the 2024 U.S. beach bacteria hotspots?
Based on the Surfriders Foundation 2024 Clean Water Report, these beaches consistently tested high for bacteria in 2024:
Windmill Beach in Sag Harbor, N.Y.: 43% of water samples
Ballard Park in Melbourne, Fla.: 52%
Park View Kayak Launch in Miami Beach, Fla.: 90%
Playa Crashboat in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico: 23%
South Sound Thea Foss Floating Dock in Tacoma, Wash.: 64%
Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, Calif.: 71%
San Luis Creek Mouth in Avila Beach, Calif.: 38%
Imperial Beach in San Diego, Calif.: 82%
Kahalu’u in Oahu, Hawaii: 92%
Waikomo Stream at Koloa Landing in Kauai, Hawaii: 90%
How did the Surfrider Foundation conduct its 2024 Clean Water Report tests?
A total of 60 Blue Water Task Force labs processed 10,120 water samples (135 of which were from Texas) collected from 604 distinct sampling sites in 2024, the Surfrider Foundation said.
All BWTF water collectors are volunteers, many of whom are students. The Texas Coastal Bend chapter collaborated with Dr. Jeff Turner’s lab at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi to set up three sampling sites that are popular for visitors — all of which were marked as low bacteria.
Of the 604 sampling sites, 483 yielded at least one high bacteria result that exceeded state health standards, the foundation said.
This story was originally published May 29, 2025 at 4:21 PM.