Officials in at least 10 states have closed beaches or warned people not to swim in the water due to high bacteria levels ahead of the Fourth of July holiday. Some of the closures are related to bacteria from fecal waste, while others are due to high levels of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, that’s found in freshwater. Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey and New York have each reported unsafe levels of fecal waste at certain beaches in the last week.
coli or enterococci — types of bacteria that signal the presence of fecal waste. Enterococcus is measured in both marine and freshwater, while E. coli is measured only in freshwater. Robert Goldstein, commissioner of Massachusetts’ Department of Public Health, said the spike in bacteria levels is common in the state after a heavy rainfall. Rain water picks up bacteria from the environment, such as from animal or human excrement, then carries it into bodies of water.