These Are Westchester’s Best Swimming Beaches

WESTCHESTER COUNTY — Westchester is home more than 20 beaches, but some have worse water quality issues than others. A new report by Save The Sound ranked Long Island Sound beaches based on fecal-indicator bacteria counts.

Water quality can vary greatly from beach to beach with some consistently clean beaches being close to beaches with more frequent issues, according to the report. Save the Sound encourages people to look for potential pollution sources for beaches and take action to clean them up. Areas that are in a harbor or other more stagnant area also tend to have more issues.

Samples are most often taken weekly and tested for fecal-indicator bacteria that point to potential contamination issues. Results typically take one day to be analyzed. Rain often brings contamination from streams, rivers and stormwater drainage pipes to the coasts. Bacteria-contaminated water is eventually diluted by tides and disinfected by the sun’s UV rays.

Water quality issues are predicted to increase at Sound beaches due to increasing rainfall caused by climate change, according to Save the Sound. It will become more important that coastal communities commit to cleaning stormwater drainage systems, rivers and creeks.

Exposure to pathogen-containing water can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache and fever along with upper respiratory tract and other infections. Children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are more vulnerable.

The report takes into account the frequency of pollution and how high the fecal contamination level gets.

Contamination is often caused when sanitary sewer overflows and discharges occur from line breaks in sewer and septic systems. The raw sewage eventually mixes with rain and flows to the nearest stormwater catch basin or river and ultimately ends up in the Sound, according to the report.

The following Westchester beaches were ranked by Save the Sound as the best for swimming, receiving an A+:

• Manursing Island Club
• Rye Town/Oakland Beach
• American Yacht Club
• Shore Acres Club
• Larchmont Manor Park
• Larchmont Shore Club
• New Rochelle Rowing Club
• Davenport Club
• Greentree Club

The grades in 2018 for the other Westchester beaches are:

• Westchester Country Club Beach: B+
• Rye Playland Beach: B+
• Coveleigh Beach Club: B-
• Shenorock Shore Club: B+
• Mamaroneck Beach & Cabana: B-
• Harbor Island Beach: C-
• Beach Point Club: B-
• Orienta Beach Club: B
• Echo Bay Yacht Club: A-
• Hudson Park: C+
• Surf Club: B+
• VIP Club: B+
• Beckwith Pointe: A-
• Glen Island Park: B+

What can residents do

Homeowners who are hooked up to municipal sewage systems should make sure their sewer pipes are free from cracks. Roots in sewer pipes are a common sign of cracks. A less costly fix is to install trenchless pipe liners that go inside the pipe.

Septic system owners should be regularly maintained and inspected by a professional.

No one should throw garbage including animal waste into stormwater catch basins.

Check out the full report here, including your beach’s grade.

Written by Rich Scinto, Patch Staff, with additional reporting by Michael Woyton, Patch Staff.