HORRY COUNTY, S.C.,None — Horry County's beaches, including Myrtle Beach, are among the nation's dirtiest in terms of water quality, according to a report from the Natural Resources Defense Council.
The report, issued Wednesday, lists popular U.S. beaches and rates them by water quality in 2009, water quality over the past three years, water quality testing frequency, issuing advisories promptly and posting closings and advisories online and at the beach.
South Carolina State Park and Campground, Myrtle Beach, Springmaid Beach and Surfside Beach each received a one-star rating out of a possible five. The report said the beaches only met one of the criteria: posting closings and advisories online and at the beach.
Want to see how clean your beach is? Click here for the full list of ratings.
North Myrtle Beach received three stars for its overall water quality last year and in the past three years, plus its timely reporting of beach advisories and closings.
The NRDC surveys water quality and public notification at U.S. beaches annually. In 2009, it said the number of beach closings and advisories hit their sixth-highest level in the report's 20-year history.
The council said nearly three-quarters of 2009 beach closings and advisories were issued because bacteria levels exceeded health and safety standards. Aging and poorly designed sewage treatment systems and contaminated stormwater are often to blame for beach water pollution, according to the NRDC.
WSOC
