Seventy-One Percent of Great Lakes Beaches Test Positive for Fecal Indicator Bacteria in New Report

Great Lakes beaches are a treasured regional resource, providing millions of Americans with opportunities for water recreation, family outings, and connection with nature. However, according to data collected from the US Environmental Protection Agency’s online BEACON portal, nearly three-quarters of Great Lakes beaches conceal an invisible threat that can make beachgoers sick.

In a new report, titled Safe for Swimming?, researchers found that 71% of Great Lakes beaches tested positive for fecal indicator bacteria like E. coli and Enterococcus at least one day last year.

“When we say fecal indicator bacteria, we're talking about the indication of the likelihood of poop,” says John Rumpler, clean water director at Environment America, a 501(c)(4) environmental advocacy network with affiliates in seven of the eight Great Lakes states. “Where there’s poop, there's likely to be stuff in the water that's going to make us sick.”

The report, published in July, was produced by Environment America Research and Policy Center, the 501(c)(3) research arm of Environment America. It utilized data collected by communities across the country and uploaded to BEACON under the federal BEACH Act in 2024 to determine nationwide and regional percentages of unsafe levels of fecal contamination.

Skin rashes, ear infections, respiratory problems, and gastrointestinal issues like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are just a few of the health risks associated with touching or swallowing contaminated waters. “Health experts estimate that there are 57 million cases of these types of illnesses from people swimming in contaminated US waters every year,” says Rumpler. “The health risks are real.”

In Great Lakes states, fecal contamination comes from a variety of sources, including sewage spills, runoff pollution, and industrial farming. Some of these feces come from livestock, pets, and wildlife, but much of it comes from humans. Combined sewer overflows, burst pipes, and poorly maintained septic systems are all common ways that partially treated or untreated human waste enters the lakes.

Rumpler says these challenges are indicative of a nationwide decline in water infrastructure, which will require both federal and local investment to remedy. Actions like upgrading infrastructure, repairing leaky sewage and septic systems, and building tunnels that hold stormwater can help reduce pathogens in water.

Decreasing stormwater runoff to prevent pollution—such as spilled sewage from burst pipes or combined sewer overflows—from entering nearby waterways is a significant part of that battle.

“We've paved over so much of our coastline and our Great Lakes areas that when it rains, stormwater is no longer able to be absorbed through the soil the way nature intended,” Rumpler explains. “Instead, heavy rains hit that pavement … and sweep up all the grease, bird poop, dog and raccoon poop, and other bacteria.”

The widespread loss of wetlands and forests to urban development exacerbates this problem. Wetlands, in particular, are water filtration powerhouses, with a tremendous capacity to absorb stormwater and prevent flooding that produces runoff.

“An acre of wetlands can hold up to 1.5 million gallons of flood waters,” says Rumpler. “If we pave over those wetlands and turn them into condos or farmland, we've lost the ability to absorb that stormwater or filter out those pollutants.”

Calvin Floyd, Conservation Advocate at Environment Michigan, says something that surprised him about the Safe for Swimming? report is how prevalent fecal indicator bacteria were in every area of his state. In Michigan, which is home to the nation’s longest freshwater coastline at more than 3,000 miles, these bacteria were identified in urban areas like Detroit, on beaches along the Upper Peninsula, and everywhere in between. “It’s really an across-the-board issue,” he says.

While determining the exact source of fecal contamination in any waterway is difficult, septic systems are a prime suspect in Michigan. “Michigan has one of the largest proportions of people on septic systems of any state in the country,” says Floyd. “We’re also the only state in the country that doesn’t have a statewide septic code.”

Septic codes typically stipulate how often septic systems must be serviced, where they should be located, and how deep they need to be. “In Michigan, that’s all done at the township level,” adds Floyd. “Some townships have the capacity to do that. Most don’t.”

Rumpler says this lack of local capacity is only heightened by a significant decrease in federal water infrastructure investment over the last 40 years. In 1977, water infrastructure comprised 63% of federal capital improvement projects. By 2017, those investments had fallen to just 9%.

Nationwide water infrastructure needs are growing as a result. To quantify this, the Environmental Protection Agency conducted a survey from 2022–2023 to evaluate the financial investment required for each state to address its wastewater, stormwater, and septic management needs over the next 20 years. The estimated total is $630 billion. In the Great Lakes states alone, that estimate is more than $152 billion.

Despite these results, the Fiscal Year 2026 Interior and Environment Appropriations Act adopted by the House in July saw a $662 million reduction in funding to two federal-state partnerships that have historically received strong bipartisan support. These programs, called the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, help states invest in water infrastructure.

Although the Senate appropriations committee rejected these cuts in favor of funding both programs at their 2024 levels, the future of the funds remains uncertain. If these cuts go through, both programs will be critically underfunded.

With Congress expected to make a final decision on water infrastructure funding when they return from their August recess, Rumpler encourages people to reach out to their Senators and urge them to reject cuts to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.

“[The Clean Water State Revolving Fund] is currently funded at less than 20% of the annualized cost of that $630 billion,” he says. “If our nation is ever going to hit that target … we really would like to see the Clean Water State Revolving Fund funded at $10 billion a year.”

Moving forward, Rumpler hopes Safe for Swimming? will help people understand why investing in water infrastructure is important. “We hope it informs the national debate and is taken to heart by policymakers when they're deciding funding for these key programs,” he says. “We're not going to get the clean water results we want as fast as we want them and as thoroughly as we want them if the resources are not there.”

In the meantime, Environment America encourages readers who are planning a trip to a favorite Great Lakes beach to visit the Safe for Swimming? dashboard for breakdowns of beach testing data across all 50 states and links to each state’s latest health advisories.