Officials warn swimmers to be aware of possible contaminations before diving in at the beach

If you’re planning to take a last-minute trip to the beach or a lake this summer, health officials say it’s time to listen up.

Right now in Georgia, there are two beaches in Jekyll Island State Park with advisories due to contamination, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

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Channel 2 Washington Correspondent Nicole D’Antonio spoke with researchers about water contamination, who say swimming in contaminated water can end up getting you sick, or worse.

Officials say to check water advisories before going swimming to ensure you don’t get any illnesses or dangerous infections.

“Definitely check to see what the most recent beach testing is doing at your favorite beach,” John Rumpler, Environment America, told Channel 2 Action News.

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Environment America, a nonprofit, said there are about 57 million cases of illnesses in the United States from swimming in contaminated oceans, lakes or rivers every year.

Researchers say most of those contaminations come from stormwater runoff or sewage overflows.

“The good news is there are ways we can solve this problem,” Rumpler said. “We can invest in fixing our sewage infrastructure to stop raw sewage from going into our waters, which contains pathogens. We can stop runoff pollution.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021 provided more than $11 billion for sewage and stormwater projects, but researchers told Channel 2 Action News more needs to be done to keep beaches safe and clean.

You can learn more about the pollution levels of Georgia’s waterways, lakes and rivers here.

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