NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A local non-profit, Save the Sound, released the results of its 2021 Long Island Sound Beach Report on Thursday. In the report beaches are graded on their water quality and given a letter grade.
There is good news for beach goers and swimmers, as according to the report 79% of the more than 200 Long Island Sound beaches earned "A" or "B" grades for water quality in the 2020 swimming season. 16% of Sound beaches have poor grades, "C" and "D," indicating that more work needs to be done to improve water quality and avoid beach closures.
Save the Sound says that rain is the primary driver for water pollution at area beaches. In the report they say that water quality failure doubled when it rained, from 5.5% in dry weather to 11/4% even 48 hours after wet weather.
The non-profit says, "rain causes water quality failure at Sound beaches for several reasons, including stormwater runoff or sewer line overflow when communities depend on combined stormwater/sewer lines or have aging sewer lines with undetected leaks."
They also include the top 10 beaches in Connecticut and top 10 beaches in New York.
In Connecticut the top 10 beaches on the Long Island Sound include,
Waterford Town Beach Waterford New London
Dubois Beach Stonington New London
Westbrook Town Beach Westbrook Middlesex
Esker Point Beach Groton New London
McCook Point Beach East Lyme New London
Eastern Point Beach Groton New London
Quigley Beach Stamford Fairfield
Woodmont Beach Milford New Haven
White Sands Beach Old Lyme New London
Burying Hill Beach Westport Fairfield
In New York the top 10 beaches on the Long Island Sound include,
The Creek Beach Oyster Bay Nassau
Southold Beach Southold Suffolk
Port Jefferson Beach - West Brookhaven Suffolk
McCabe's Beach Southold Suffolk
Centre Island - Sound Beach Oyster Bay Nassau
Kenney's Beach Southold Suffolk
West Harbor Memorial Beach Oyster Bay Nassau
Sunken Meadow State Park - East Smithtown Suffolk
Orchard Beach Bronx Bronx
Soundside Beach Oyster Bay Nassau
The report also included the notice of declined water quality at many beaches in the days following rain events. Save the Sound is concerned by this as predictions of an increasingly seasonal wet weather due to climate change. The non-profit is asking elected officials to do more to repair and improve sewer lines and stormwater systems as they impact beach water quality after heavy and moderate rain.
Save the Sound has a dedicated website www.SoundHealthExplorer.org with more information.
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