Dirty Water

New England is home to some of America’s best beaches, but a report issued by the Natural Resources Defense Council shows New England also has some of the most frequent beach closings due to high bacteria levels in the water. Just in time for your weekend planning, we break down which states to check up on before you go.

Rhode Island is one of the states most likely to have beach closings due to unsafe water, ranking fourth on the list. However, only one of the Ocean State’s beaches—Warren Town Beach in Bristol—rated as a beach with more than 25 percent of samples exceeding the national guidelines for safe swimming. If you’re worried about the water quality at a particular beach, you can check for any beach advisories in Rhode Island here.

Ranking eighth for beachy ignominy is Vactionland itself, Maine. York Beach, Pine Point in Cumberland, and Ogunquit were likely to close due to high bacteria. Know before you go here.

Massachusetts follows at a distant 14th place, with none of its beaches reporting regularly high levels of pollution. The Commonwealth breaks down the water quality at this website.

Connecticut follows in 20th place with Kiddie’s Beach in New London ranked as a frequent closer (check up on Connecticut’s beaches here), and New Hampshire is safely in 23rd with no beaches regularly reporting dangerous water (but if you want to check, look here). Landlocked Vermont didn’t factor into the NRDC’s list, but if you have any doubts about a lake’s water quality, Vermont provides you with details on how to test it yourself. If you’re that nervous, perhaps you should just stay home.