Thank you to Janet Briggs for reporting on the beach contamination warnings posted in southern Maine (July 13).

In 2022, 36 Maine beaches were potentially unsafe for swimming on at least one testing day, according to “Safe for Swimming?,” the latest analysis of bacteria testing by Environment Maine Research & Policy Center.

Fourteen Maine beaches exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Beach Action Value” safety threshold on at least one-quarter of days tested last year, including Gooch’s Beach, with higher bacteria levels on 39% of testing days.

Sometimes, this pollution leads to beach closures. Other times, it means swimmers can get sick – including nausea, diarrhea, ear infections and rashes.

To stop these health risks at our beaches, we need to prevent the runoff and sewage overflows that are often major sources of pathogen pollution. This includes projects that replace some of nature’s lost capacity to absorb stormwater – like rain gardens, tree trenches and permeable pavement.

Fifty years ago, our nation passed the Clean Water Act and resolved that we would make all our waterways safe for swimming. It is time to realize that goal for all Maine beaches.

Lily Segal
Needham, Mass.