Long Island Sound beaches get water quality grades at key moment for its longterm health

Beachgoers ready to dive into local waters this summer might want to consult a newly released score card rating the quality of where they are swimming on Long Island Sound.

Beaches in Nassau and Suffolk netted some of the highest scores, according to the environmental nonprofit Save the Sound's water quality ranking from 2020 to 2022. McCabe’s Beach and Kenney’s Beach, both in Southold, and Southside Beach in Oyster Bay got A+ scores. Southold Town Beach, which has held the top score since 2017, has one of the best records on Long Island Sound. 

But the outlook was murkier for several other Long Island beaches. Beekman Beach in Oyster Bay got a C+ and Manorhaven Beach in North Hempstead received a C, representing some of the lowest scores across the Sound.

Overall, 78% of the monitored Long Island Sound beaches earned A or B grades for water quality, the nonprofit said in a news release. Beaches in New York City tended to rank lower compared with those on Long Island and Connecticut.

“Water quality at beaches across Long Island Sound has come so far — but we may be at a tipping point,” said David Ansel, vice president of water protection for Save the Sound, while calling for more improvements to sewage plants, septic systems, and cesspools.

“Steps we take in the next five years may well set the course for the health of Long Island Sound over the next 50,” he said.

Stormwater runoff brings pollutants

Nonprofit officials said low scores at Manorhaven and other beaches are likely due to the amount of impervious surfaces that make it hard for precipitation to soak into the ground, which means it will run into the water, collecting pollutants along the way.

"Fuel, oil, grease, and tire debris from our cars and many other chemicals are also picked up by stormwater as it runs over developed areas. It also collects … the one most responsible for beach closures: fecal indicator bacteria," the report said. "All too often, rain infiltrates cracked sewer pipes and failing septic systems, adding human waste to the potpourri of pollutants the runoff delivers to our beaches."

Releasing the report on the first day of summer, local officials and advocates hope it will be informative for beachgoers and a catalyst for change in locations with persistent water quality issues.

"We want to encourage people to take actions and empower them to take actions where they want to see improvements in beach water quality," said Peter Linderoth, director of water quality at Save the Sound. 

North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said the results offer residents insights into the quality of local beaches. 

 "When they [residents] see results like this, that we have some excellent beaches and some that really need our attention, they will join in our efforts," she said. "And they'll support what we spend in our budget … getting safer water quality."

Long Island, New York City beach grades fluctuate

To get the results, the nonprofit's staff scientists and advisers used the Environmental Protection Agency Water Quality Portal to help assign a grade for 198 of 207 monitored swimming beaches. Researchers analyzed data points that include the concentration of fecal bacteria to compile the classification.

Some year-over-year scores fluctuated. For instance, Prices Bend Beach in Suffolk had a C in 2020 but a B+ in 2022. Conversely, Orchard Beach in the Bronx moved down from an A- in 2020 to a C in 2022.

Several factors can play into why water quality on a beach may swing between high and low rankings over the years, including the day when the samples were taken. So the organization uses averages to rank the highest and lowest scoring beaches.

"We feel it gives a more complete picture of the water quality at a beach," Linderoth said. 

Water quality at closed beaches a concern

Beaches can be closed due to a lack of lifeguards, high waves and cold water, as well as sewage infrastructure failure and old septic systems in the area. 

But experts are particularly concerned about wet-weather failures, or closures due to poor beach water quality from stormwater runoff, when water samples can fail the state's safe swimming criteria and carry a higher risk of illnesses.

In the seven regions measured, beach closures from wet weather grew overall but Long Island We had mixed results. The frequency of wet-weather closures in Nassau from 2020 to 2022 averaged 10.4%, up from 8.1% for 2018 to 2020. In western Suffolk, the number of wet-weather closures decreased, moving from 15.5% to 8.7%. The eastern side of Suffolk saw similar wet closures, decreasing less than one percentage point from the 2018-2020 averages.

Save the Sound said residents or municipalities can reduce stormwater pollution, including rain gardens that capture stormwater and move it into the ground, planting native plants and some infrastructure projects in the area of beaches. 

By Tiffany Cusaac-Smith

tiffany.cusaac-smith@newsday.com@T_Cusaac

Education: Howard University 

Tiffany Cusaac-Smith came to Newsday in 2023 after being a race and history reporter at USA TODAY, where she wrote enterprise and spot articles examining how the past shapes the present. Previously, she worked as the race and justice reporter at the USA TODAY Network of New York, covering issues such as criminal justice reform, housing, environmental justice, health care and politics. At The Journal News/lohud.com in Westchester County, she covered Yonkers, the state's third-largest city. She also worked at The Associated Press in Atlanta.

Honors and Awards: Criminal justice reporting fellowship with the National Press Foundation;  New York News Publishers Association award for distinguished investigative reporting;  Contributed reporting for Best of Gannett honor; Member of Table Stakes, a program funded by the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund and managed by the American Press Institute to transform local news.