Preventing Beach and Ocean Pollution

By Paul McRandle

Not only does every coastal state suffer from polluted and contaminated beaches but those problems resulted in more than 20,000 closing and swimming advisory days in 2008 alone—such is the sorry state of affairs noted in NRDC's latest Testing the Waters report. Unlucky beachgoers can suffer infections, rashes, stomach flu, hepatitis and worse. But because storm water runoff is one of the major causes of beach pollution, we can help prevent it at home. Below are a few ways you can help reduce runoff and otherwise improve the quality of our beaches and oceans.


Wash your car on grass and use little or no water
Some western states and cities already require that car owners wash their cars on grass, gravel or other permeable surfaces to prevent the runoff of oil, grease and metals into our storm drains.  By switching to one of the several waterless car wash products you’ll do even more to prevent water waste and keep pollutants out of the environment. If you find they don’t clean your car as thoroughly as you’d like, visit a commercial car wash, which are required by the Clean Water Act to send waste water to treatment plants.

Start a rain garden
To help prevent flooding of the streets, cities such as Burnsville, Minnesota are encouraging residents to plant rain gardens, often hardy, native species planted in depressions that collect rain water as it runs off your driveway, rooftop and other areas. By modifying the curbside, rain gardens can also help divert rainwater from streets. For help planting your own, see Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources.

Install permeable pavement
Replace your driveway and walkways with permeable paving or gravel that allows water to soak into the ground. Options include permeable asphalt, concrete, pavers and bricks, and should be paired with other runoff reduction strategies mentioned here for the greatest reduction. TheBiological and Agricultural Engineering Department at the North Carolina State University provides descriptions of types of paving and research on their effectiveness

Add rain barrels (and gutters)
If your house doesn’t have roof gutters, rain water streaming off roof tiles will only compound runoff from your driveway, patio and other surfaces, so make the upgrade. Adding rain barrels to the downspouts from your gutters eliminates rooftop runoff and provides a supply of non-potable water for irrigation. As an added plus, barrels made from recycled food-grade containers are widely sold and help reduce waste and plastic production. Barrels are available at Clean Air Gardening and Aaron’s Rain Barrels, among others.

Try on a green roof for size
If you’re up for a larger task (and want to wow your neighbors), you can install a green roof to that will absorb rainwater, attract birds, butterflies and beneficial insects and help increase your home insulation. Homeowners may even be eligible for utility rebates and state- or city-government incentives. What's more, a green roof may double your roof's lifespan by shielding it from sunlight, wind and extreme temperatures.  However, depending on the system used, your roof will need to be able to support at least 30 pounds per square foot and have a slope of no less than one percent and no greater than seven percent.

For ratings of the 200 most popular U.S. beaches, see the interactive map at Testing the Waters.