Texas Beaches, Beware: Poop Pollution Levels Rising

Texas is getting ready for beach season now that summer is right around the corner—but according to Very Well Health, sharks and sunburns aren’t the only things to worry about this year. The real danger? The beach is full of… crap.

Get our free mobile app

The Dirty Truth About Texas Beaches: It's Getting Poopier

No, seriously. You didn’t mishear that. I’m not saying the beach isn’t fun—I’m saying that more and more Texas beaches are becoming contaminated with fecal matter. That’s right: poop. Feces. Dung. Poopy. All over our beautiful beaches here in the great state, Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, a board-certified physician in emergency medicine, hyperbaric medicine, medical toxicology, and undersea medicine, explains that both human and pet waste, especially when left on the side of the road, can get swept away by stormwater or rain. That contaminated water flows into sewer systems and eventually washes out into the ocean.

Hidden Danger: The Escalating Fecal Contamination of Texas Beaches

Texas, we’ve got to understand: swimming in fecal-contaminated water increases your risk of gastritis (aka stomach flu), not to mention infections from E. coli, which can make you extremely sick. Now, asking Texans to avoid the beach during summer might be unrealistic, but if you do go, try your absolute best not to swallow the water. It could make you a whole lot sicker than you bargained for. We all want to enjoy summer here in Texas, but at what cost?