A new report released Tuesday lists the most troubled beaches in 29 coastal and Great Lakes states.

The Environment America Research and Policy Center study looked at the number of days in 2018 that the water had bacteria counts exceeding Environmental Protection Agency standards, which can potentially sicken swimmers.

Most days of the year, beaches are considered safe. But researchers found bacteria counts can spike on certain days with fecal matter from people or animals as the chief culprit. It comes when sewers overflow or when fecal waste on streets washes into streams or creeks that flow to lakes or the ocean. A co-author of the study says it shows more work needs to be done to clean up lakes and oceans.

“It’s hard to believe that 47 years after we passed the Clean Water Act that we are still concerned with poop in the water when people want to go swimming,” said John Rumpler, clean water program director for the center.

In Chicago, 19 of 19 beaches sampled had at least one day last year when beaches were potentially unsafe for swimming. The Chicago Park District said in a statement that its beaches are within both its own and the state of Illinois’ established risk levels and that it uses a different testing method, resulting in levels that are lower than what’s reflected in the report.

There are plenty of other examples in the report. The Gulfport East beach in Mississippi showed high levels on 44 out of 66 days sampled. Tanner Park in New York’s Suffolk County registered high on 48 out of 71 samples. Cupertino Park near Milwaukee was unacceptable on 40 of 60 samples.

When it comes to water quality, beaches aren’t always what they seem. In the East, septic systems can sometimes leak into creeks. On all coasts, water can become contaminated by bird droppings, said Mara Dias, water quality manager for the Surfrider Foundation.

The stillness of the water can also make a difference.

”Pollution (that) gets washed into high-energy beaches will dissipate pretty quickly,” Dias said. “When it comes through streams and areas where there is not a lot of circulation, it just washes back and forth,” not like when exposed to the open ocean.

Though many counties and states are good about closing beaches when pollution levels are too high, posting signs to warn beachgoers, she urges those planning a trip to the shore to check water-quality reports before they arrive.

The good news? Luke Ginger, water quality scientist for Heal the Bay, another organization devoted to clean oceans, said the trend has been toward improvement. Local governments, he added, have done a better job of capturing, recirculating or treating stormwater runoff and taken other steps.

“There are improvements that can be made but for the most part, there’s really good water quality. There are just a few beaches that have issues,” he said.

Here’s are the top five findings by state, according to the report:

Alabama

• Fairhope Public Beach, Baldwin (21 unsafe days, 60 samples)

• Dog River, Alba Club, Mobile (9, 36)

• Camp Beckwith, Baldwin (8, 58)

• Volanta Avenue, Baldwin (8, 36)

• Orange Street Pier, Baldwin (6, 34)

California

• Inner Cabrillo Beach, Los Angeles (85 unsafe days, 175 samples)

• Coronado Ave. Beach, Los Angeles (62, 144)

• Salt Creek Beach, Orange (46, 80)

• Molino Avenue Beach, Los Angeles (45, 130)

• 5th Place Beach, Los Angeles (44, 140)

Connecticut

• Byram Beach (South), Fairfield (6 unsafe days, 20 samples)

• Byram Beach (North), Fairfield (6, 20)

• Seaside Park Beach (Southernmost), Fairfield (5, 14)

• Seaside Park Beach (South), Fairfield (4, 13)

• Seaside Park Beach (Mid), Fairfield (4, 14)

Delaware

• Slaughter Beach, Sussex (16 unsafe days, 25 samples)

• Fenwick Island State Park Beach, Sussex (3, 16)

• Rehoboth Beach, Sussex (3, 32)

• Broadkill Beach, Sussex (2, 16)

• Lewes Beach North, Sussex (2, 17)

Florida

• Bayou Texar, Escambia (24 unsafe days, 50 samples)

• Sanders Beach, Escambia (23, 64)

• Crandon Park on Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade (17, 63)

• Bird Key Park, Sarasota (17, 67)

• Venice Fishing Pier, Sarasota (15, 64)

Georgia

• St. Simons Island Lighthouse, Glynn (6 unsafe days, 50 samples)

• Skidaway Narrows, Chatham (3, 8)

• Kings Ferry, Chatham (3, 4)

• Tybee Island, Polk St., Chatham (3, 46)

• Jekyll Driftwood Beach, Glynn (2, 46)

Hawaii

• Keehi Lagoon (North), Honolulu (11 unsafe days, 91 samples)

• Keehi Lagoon (South), Honolulu (10, 91)

• Punaluu Beach Park, Honolulu (9, 12)

• MS2 (Kapoho Point), Honolulu (9, 20)

• Kalihi Channel, Honolulu (8, 91)

Illinois

• South Shore Beach, Cook (38 unsafe days, 98 samples)

• Calumet South Beach, Cook (35, 96)

• 63rd Street Beach, Cook (34, 95)

• Rogers Avenue Park Beach, Cook (33, 95)

• Howard Street Park Beach, Cook (28, 96)

Indiana

• Jeorse Park Beach I, Lake (40 unsafe days, 111 samples)

• Jeorse Park Beach II, Lake (38, 111)

• Buffington Harbor Beach, Lake (28, 111)

• Indiana Dunes State Park East Beach, Porter (23, 101)

• Washington Park Beach, LaPorte (22, 105)

Louisiana

• North Beach, Calcasieu (11 unsafe days, 31 samples)

• Cypremort Point State Park, St. Mary (10, 31)

• Fontainebleau State Park, St. Tammany (10, 29)

• Rutherford Beach, Cameron (9, 31)

• Holly Beach 4, Cameron (7, 31)

Maine

• Goose Rocks Beach – Site 5, York (14 unsafe days, 39 samples)

• Goose Rocks Beach – Site 1, York (9, 39)

• Willard Beach, Cumberland (8, 26)

• Ogunquit Beach, York (7, 14)

• Kennebunk Beach, York (6, 18)

Maryland

• Camp Pecometh, Kent (9 unsafe days, 16 samples)

• Public Landing Beach near Snow Hill, Worcester (8, 15)

• Ocean City Beach 1, Worcester (8, 28)

• Purse State Park, Charles (7, 12)

• Ferry Park, Kent (7, 10)

Massachusetts

• Nahant Bay at Eastern Ave, Essex (39 unsafe days, 92 samples)

• Tenean Beach, Suffolk (26, 94)

• Nahant Bay at Pierce Road, Essex (23, 92)

• Nahant Bay at Kimball Road, Essex (21, 92)

• Quincy Shore at Channing Street, Norfolk (18, 93)

Michigan

• St. Clair Shores Memorial Park Beach, Macomb (26 unsafe days, 49 samples)

• Pier Park, Wayne (15, 20)

• HCMA/Lake St. Clair Metropark Beach, Macomb (13, 51)

• New Baltimore Park Beach, Macomb (12, 48)

• Singing Bridge Beach, Arenac (11, 11)

Minnesota

• New Duluth Boat Club landing, St. Louis (16 unsafe days, 37 samples)

• Near Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge, St. Louis (10, 29)

• Agate Bay, Lake (5, 17)

• Twin Points Public Access, Lake (4, 16)

• Flood Bay, Lake (3, 14)

Mississippi

• Gulfport East Beach, Harrison (44 unsafe days, 66 samples)

• Shearwater Beach, Jackson (35, 64)

• Long Beach, Harrison (35, 67)

• Gulfport Central Beach, Harrison (35, 62)

• Courthouse Road Beach, Harrison (34, 60)

New Hampshire

• State Beach-Left, Rockingham (5 unsafe days, 26 samples)

• State Beach-Center, Rockingham (5, 27)

• New Castle Island-Right, Rockingham (4, 23)

• State Beach-Right, Rockingham (3, 26)

• Sawyer Beach-Right, Rockingham (2, 8)

New Jersey

• Berkeley Township/Beachwood Beach West, Ocean (14 unsafe days, 22 samples)

• Belmar Borough at L Street Beach, Monmouth (11, 21)

• Berkeley Township at West Beach Avon Road, Ocean (8, 19)

• Brick Township at Windward Beach, Ocean (8, 22)

• Highlands Borough at Highlands Recreation Center, Monmouth (8, 19)

New York

• Tanner Park, Suffolk (48 unsafe days, 71 samples)

• Woodlawn Beach State Park, Erie (47, 104)

• Shirley Beach, Suffolk (28, 47)

• Venetian Shores, Suffolk (28, 48)

• Valley Grove Beach, Suffolk (24, 51)

North Carolina

• Sound access at the intersection of

E. Main Street/Tooley Street, Belhaven, Beaufort (11 unsafe days, 35 samples)

• NC Maritime Museum Sailing Camp, Carteret (8, 41)

• Pamlico River – City Park, Beaufort (8, 17)

• End of Shore Line Drive, Pender (7, 39)

• Pamlico River-Washington-Trestle, Beaufort (7, 17)

Ohio

• Bay View West, Erie (48 unsafe days, 70 samples)

• Maumee Bay State Park (Inland), Lucas (43, 56)

• Villa Angela State Park, Cuyahoga (42, 115)

• Lakeview Beach, Lorain (39, 60)

• Euclid State Park, Cuyahoga (38, 112)

Oregon

• Sunset Bay State Park Beach/Big Creek, Coos (11 unsafe days, 18 samples)

• Nye Beach turnaround/discharge pipe, Lincoln (5, 11)

• Harris Beach State Park at Harris Creek, Curry (5, 7)

• Sunset Bay, Seep Creek, Coos (5, 11)

• Sunset Bay State Park Beach/North Beach, Coos (4, 18)

Pennsylvania

• Beach 11 West in Thompson Bay, Erie (17 unsafe days, 39 samples)

• Beach 11 East in Thompson Bay, Erie (17, 39)

• Beach 11 Center in Thompson Bay, Erie (16, 39)

• Barracks Beach West, Erie (9, 31)

• Barracks Beach East, Erie (7, 31)

Rhode Island

• Easton’s Beach, Newport (10 unsafe days, 29 samples)

• Conimicut Point Beach – West, Kent (6, 25)

• Goddard Memorial State Park Center, Kent (5, 27)

• Sandy Point Beach – South, Newport (5, 26)

• Oakland Beach Center, Kent (5, 26)

South Carolina

• Withers Swash, Horry (32 unsafe days, 70 samples)

• Myrtle Beach at 24th Avenue N, Horry (30, 70)

• White Point Swash, Horry (26, 70)

• Bear Branch Swash, Horry (26, 70)

• Cane Patch Swash, Horry (26, 70)

Texas

• Cole Park – Site 3, Nueces (52 unsafe days, 64 samples)

• Ropes Park – Site 2, Nueces (43, 59)

• Cole Park – Site 4, Nueces (42, 53)

• Cole Park – Site 2, Nueces (38, 56)

• Poenisch Park, Nueces (35, 55)

Virginia

• North Community Beach, Norfolk city (7 unsafe days, 18 samples)

• Captains Quarters, Norfolk city (5, 18)

• 10th View, Behind Quality Inn, Norfolk city (4, 18)

• 15th Street, Virginia Beach city (4, 20)

• 13th View, North End, Norfolk city (3, 18)

Washington

• Sooes Beach, Clallam (7 unsafe days, 41 samples)

• Lummi Bay, adjacent to second tidegate, Whatcom (5, 34)

• Dakwas Park Beach, Neah Bay, Clallam (5, 48)

• Little Squalicum Park, Whatcom (5, 15)

•Cline Spit County Park, Clallam (4, 15)

Wisconsin

• Cupertino Park, Milwaukee (40 unsafe days, 60 samples)

• McKinley Marina Roundhouse, Milwaukee (36, 61)

• Wolfenbuttel Park, Kenosha (27, 51)

• North Nicolet Bay Campground, Door (18, 59)

• Racine North Beach – Site 1, Racine (18, 65)

Source: Environment America Research and Policy Center

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