Looking for the safest beaches in the Boston area? Here’s a breakdown of the latest water quality report:
Top Performers:
Pleasure Bay and City Point Beaches (South Boston): Both beaches received perfect scores of 100% for the 2023 season, maintaining a streak of five consecutive years with flawless ratings. Save the Harbor calls them the “cleanest urban beaches in the country.
Challenges:
King’s Beach (Lynn): King’s Beach received the lowest score of 55% for the 2023 season. It presents a significant infrastructure challenge, with stakeholders at various levels working to address the issues.
Tenean Beach (Dorchester): Received the second-lowest score of 73% for 2023.
Factors Affecting Ratings:
Record Rainfall: Last summer’s record rainfall significantly impacted water quality scores. Heavy rain can lead to sewer overflows and street runoff, increasing bacteria levels and posing risks to beachgoers.
Harmful Algae Blooms: Some beaches faced closures due to harmful algae blooms during the summer.
Overall Assessment:
Despite challenges, Massachusetts beaches generally maintain high water quality standards. However, 2023 saw increased exceedances of bacterial water quality standards, attributed to the heavy rainfall.
Boston Harbor area beaches received an overall water quality safety rating of 85% in 2023, a decrease from the previous 93%.
While the report highlights areas for improvement, it also underscores ongoing efforts to address water quality challenges and ensure the safety of beach visitors in the Boston area.
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