by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 9:25 AM ET, Mon July 13, 2026
From Los Angeles to Miami, beaches around the nation are struggling with one nasty problem: elevated levels of fecal bacteria.
Environmental protection agencies across the nation are warning travelers and beachgoers not to swim, as high levels of fecal bacteria, including Enterococcus (commonly known as E. coli), have been reported nationwide.
Impacted Beaches
Beaches with high levels of fecal bacteria have been closed across the country. The Miami Herald reports high levels at North Shore Ocean Terrace, Bark Beach and Golden Beach in Miami, with the Department of Health discouraging "water-related activities" at these beaches.
"Enterococci are bacteria that live in the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals, including humans, and therefore indicate possible contamination of surface waters by fecal waste," the Environmental Protection Agency said.
Three New Jersey beaches were also closed after the state's Department of Environmental Protection found high levels of fecal bacteria, including beaches in Highlands, Belmar and Sea Girt, which most likely entered the ocean via heavy rainfall and runoff. One beach has been reopened since its recent closure.
And according to FOX, several popular beaches in Los Angeles County have been closed due to fecal contamination, including the beach around Santa Monica Pier, San Pedro and others. A
"You can smell it right now. It smells like poop," said Ashley Oelsen, with the California Coastal Alliance, while testing the water.
A dozen New York City beaches were placed under a swimming advisory following the Fourth of July. It's not just ocean beaches, either: Lighthouse Beach at Silver Lake State Park in Michigan, along the lakefront, was placed under an alert for one day after tests showed elevated E. coli levels.
Why Is Fecal Bacteria a Problem?
Fecal bacteria wash into oceans following heavy rainfall, when sewers and ponds overfill and wash into the ocean. This can be a short, one-day event, as in Michigan, or it can be a longer problem, especially in hot weather and warm waters, where bacteria breed.
While E. coli isn't considered a major health risk when people are swimming in water, its presence often indicates other, more harmful bacteria are likely present—ones that can cause illness.
Travelers should monitor any beach or public swimming area they plan to visit ahead of time to see if it's safe to swim, and keep up to date on news alerts about swimming safety, from potential bacterial presence to rip tide risk.
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