Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
How Dirty Are NYC Beaches?
By
Lauren Evans
Published Jun 26, 2013
Modified Jun 26, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Lauren Evans
Published Jun 26, 2013
Modified Jun 26, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
None of the city's beaches are squeaky clean, per se, but they also probably won't kill you, according to a report released today by the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Beaches were ranked on a basis of one to five stars, with five stars earning the designation of a "Superstar" beach. Spoiler: There are no Superstar beaches in New York. Several beaches did, however, earn four stars, including Coney Island between Brighton 6th Street to Ocean Parkway and Ocean Parkway to West 8th Street (both were assessed separately), and Rockaway Beach from 116th Street to 126th Street in Queens. Long Beach in Nassau County was also awarded four stars.
The dirtiest beaches in the city can be found in the Bronx, with 15 percent of water samples violating health standards. Queens County came in second with a 7 percent violation rate, and Kings County the cleanest at 5 percent. When it comes to overall beachwater quality, New York state ranks "22th" out of 30. Yes, 22th [sic]!
Swimming in a contaminated beach can result in an array of ailments: Stomach flu, skin rashes, pinkeye, ear, nose and throat problems, dysentery, hepatitis, respiratory ailments, neurological disorders and, for those who are old, young or already sickly, death!
The report found that the most significant cause of pollution is overflow of sewage systems, which can occur after a scant tenth of an inch of rain and results in 30 billion gallons of spillover each year—in the city alone. A plan, finalized in spring of 2012, will hopefully help combat...that, using porous pavement, green roofs, sidewalk tree boxes and increased green space, which will reduce the amount of rainfall absorbed by the fragile sewer system. Obviously, Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the beaches, ultimately dumping more than 5 billion gallons of untreated and partially treated sewage into New York's waters.
“No one wants to go swimming in sewage on their summer vacation,” said NRDC senior attorney Lawrence Levine said in a in the most uncontroversial statement in the history of press releases. “Polluted water is not only bad for people’s health, but bad for local business in beach communicates." [Editor's note: Did he mean to write 'communities'?] "By tackling contamination at its source—stormwater runoff—we can help prevent a trip to the shore from turning into a trip to the doctor.”
All of which is to say, cooling off at the beach is probably still more sanitary than taking a dip at McCarren Park pool. But if you really want to avoid water-induced hepatitis, you should just stick to the safety of your own shower. Or move to New Hampshire.
Tagged
beach
beaches
new york beaches
summer
swimming
original
Lauren Evans
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
ICE agent fires 7 rounds, shoots man in neck in NYC's Marble Hill, NYPD says
The man is hospitalized in stable condition and a 5-year-old boy who was in his SUV is safe, police say.
By
Giulia Heyward
and
Arya Sundaram
Published Oct 8, 2026 at 5:33 p.m. ET
Modified Oct 8, 2026 at 11:48 p.m. ET
Lazy drivers in Prospect Heights lose chance for 1 less day of alternate-side parking
A pilot found that drivers actually complied with alternate-side less when fewer days were in effect.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Lazy drivers in Prospect Heights lose chance for 1 less day of alternate-side parking
A pilot found that drivers actually complied with alternate-side less when fewer days were in effect.
By
Liam Quigley
Jersey City mayor shakes up staff amid $255M budget gap
By
Michael Sol Warren
Bronx residents will be exempt from new Medicaid work rule, state officials say
By
Caroline Lewis
MTA chair accuses Andy Byford, who's leading Penn Station rebuild, of going 'full MAGA'
By
Stephen Nessen
and
Carol Chen
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .