Chris Mancini, executive director of the local nonprofit, emphasized the quality of beaches in the region, stating, “You don’t have to go all the way to the Cape or Newburyport. We have amazing beaches right here, and many of them are exceptionally clean.”
Although the overall water quality in the region is commendable, some beaches have received concerning grades. Four beaches fell below 80 percent on the nonprofit’s scorecard, indicating that they “failed” at least one out of every five tests for enterococci, an organism akin to E. coli.
The beaches identified with lower ratings include King’s Beach in Lynn, Nahant Beach, Tenean Beach, and Savin Hill Beach.
Notably, Tenean and King’s Beach have historically struggled in the annual evaluations conducted by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, according to Mancini.
State guidelines necessitate beach closures when tests report bacterial levels exceeding established limits for two consecutive days. These frequent closures are often linked to older or unreliable sewage systems that are particularly vulnerable during heavy rainfall, leading to stormwater runoff issues. Climate change further exacerbates these problems, resulting in worsening storms and elevated water temperatures.
Despite these challenges, Mancini reassured beachgoers that the majority of local beaches are “reliably clean.”
“You see anything over 85 [percent], you’re kind of going, ‘this is good,’” Mancini remarked. “Personally, I wouldn’t worry too much about any beach that was over 85 percent.”
Focusing on success stories, Pleasure Bay and City Point have both maintained a perfect safety rating over the past six years. Many South Boston beaches have consistently scored above 90 percent, while those in Revere and Winthrop remain in the middle of the ranking scale.
Significantly, King’s Beach improved by 11 points from a disappointing 55 percent rating in 2023, marking it as one of the worst performers. On a brighter note, Malibu Beach in Dorchester saw a 7-point increase compared to last year.
However, Savin Hill Beach experienced a concerning drop in water quality, which Mancini described as a puzzling anomaly.
The variation in testing frequency might explain this particular dip; unlike Malibu, which undergoes daily testing, Savin Hill’s water is tested weekly. This discrepancy means that a handful of poor samples, possibly stemming from heightened rainfall runoff, could alter the overall rating significantly.
Located in a basin with limited tidal flow, Savin Hill Beach’s situation may also contribute to its water quality issues, making it less capable of self-cleaning compared to other beaches exposed to open harbor currents.
Residents of Savin Hill have previously expressed their worries regarding the water quality. Greg Bedrosian, head of the Dorchester Yacht Club, commented on the basin’s contamination concerns, stating, “We are trying to bring attention and resources to it because it really needs to be cleaned up. It’s really contaminated, and I don’t think anyone knows just how contaminated it is.”
Potential contributors to the contamination include runoff from the Southeast Expressway and the inadequate tidal flow beneath Beades Bridge, which carries Morrissey Boulevard across Dorchester Bay.
Bill Walczak, president of the Columbia-Savin Hill Civic Association, lamented the build-up of silt under the bridge over the years, noting, “The problem is that silt has built up in it over the years, and so there’s no way that water can flush through there anymore.”
Efforts to address these issues by dredging up the silt have, unfortunately, not received the necessary attention.
“All you have to do is look at the build-up underneath it, and you can say, ‘Wow, this area would be a lot clearer and cleaner and healthier if the state were just willing to clear out the silt,’” Walczak expressed.
Despite these localized concerns, Mancini offered a hopeful perspective. He noted that, in general, the water quality in the Boston area is in line with other major urban beaches nationwide, mentioning Coney Island in New York City and beaches in Los Angeles.
He highlighted that the South Boston beaches, with a consistent safety rating of 100, exemplify peak water cleanliness.
As of Tuesday, Short Beach in Revere remained the only public beach currently closed, as indicated by an interactive state dashboard.
image source from：bostonglobe
