CLEVELAND – Thousands may head to the shores of Lake Erie this summer, but swimmers may want to think twice before they take a dip.
Ohio beach waters rank the second worst in the country, in the latest report by the Natural Resources Defense Council.
“Oh wow. That’s scary, you know, scary for any human being, being in that kind of water,” said Tonya Wood of Cleveland. “You can be infected. Anything can happen.”
Ohio exceeds the national health recommendation standards by 22 percent. Louisiana is the worst state overall, exceeding standards by 29 percent.
“When you go to the beach, you want to go swim and have a lot of fun in the water, play some games,” said Oleg Novitchii of Cleveland. “That’s too bad. I’m worried. I think the water’s a little too dirty for us to go in. Doesn’t look too clear. I don’t think we’ll go and swim in this water today.”
The NRDC’s annual report also states that the Great Lakes are among the dirtiest waters in the country. One of the biggest factors is pollutants. According to the council, billions of gallons of sewage are pouring into the Great Lakes each year, breeding up to 120 viruses.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that up to 2.5 million people get sick from contacting raw sewage in beach water each year.
“That is terrible,” said Brenda Hite of Cleveland. “It’s honestly disgusting and that’s not right because, I mean, they’ve got billions and billions of dollars, also, to clean it up.”
Villa Angela State Park and Euclid State Park are also listed on the reports “worst repeat offender” list.
However, state park officials tell Fox 8 that water is tested regularly and signs are posted whenever the conditions are dangerous for swimmers.