2024 Report Flags Pathogen Threat at 78% of Maine’s Coastal Beaches

If you’re a fan of hitting the beach in the summer (and honestly, who isn’t in Maine?), a new report might give you pause before you dive in. Environment Maine Research & Policy Center just released data showing that 78% of the coastal beaches tested in 2024 showed signs of pathogen risk—yep, that’s more than three-quarters of the beaches they looked at.

According to WGME 13, the study found that 51 Maine beaches were potentially unsafe for swimming on at least one day last year due to bacteria levels. The main culprits? You guessed it, sewage overflows and polluted stormwater runoff. In fact, in 2023 alone, the report says over 745 million gallons of that nasty stuff flowed into Maine’s rivers, bays and coastline.

So which Maine beaches were flagged in the 2024 pathogen report?

Some of the beaches with ongoing pollution concerns include:

• Goodies Beach in Rockport

• Gooch’s Beach in Kennebunk

• Cape Neddick Beach

• Laite Beach in Camden

• Little Beach in Ogunquit

• Ferry Beach in Scarborough

• Willard Beach in South Portland

• Mothers Beach in Kennebunk

• And Goose Rocks Beach in Kennebunkport

WGME went on to explain that the report is pushing for big-time investments in Maine’s water infrastructure to prevent future overflows and clean up the runoff that’s causing these issues.

According to scientists, an estimated 57 million people get sick every year in the U.S. from swimming in polluted water, with common symptoms ranging from nausea and diarrhea to ear infections and skin rashes.

So before your next beach day, it might be worth checking the water quality reports, especially if you're heading to one of the beaches on that list.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and maybe stick to the towel if the water looks a little off.