Fourth of July revelers heading to the beach this week might want to check out a leading environmental groups report that found water quality at the nations vacation beaches last year was the third poorest in more than two decades. Louisianas beaches were rated the nations most contaminated, with 29 percent of water samples showing elevated bacteria levels, more than three times the national average of 8 percent, according to the annual study by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The states ranking was dragged down by five beaches in Cameron Parish listed among the 15 worst repeat offenders for persistent contamination problems from stormwater runoff and sewage pollution, the report said.

High bacteria levels were found in 44 percent of water samples collected at the five Cameron Parish beaches. In Grand Isle, the public and state park beaches fared much better, with elevated bacteria counts found in 9 percent of nearly 250 samples collected at seven locations.

Testing results at some favorite beach getaways for New Orleans area residents along the Gulf Coast showed an 8 percent contamination rate in Bay St. Louis and no bad samples at Dauphin Island, Gulf Shores and Pensacola. In Gulf Shores, the public and state park beaches were five-star beaches across the country by the report.

The study was based on beach water testing at 3,000 locations for bacteria found in human or animal waste.

The number of days beaches were closed or were subject to water-quality advisories was the third highest since the environmental group began issuing annual reports 22 years ago. The second highest total of beach closures and warnings occurred in 2010, the report said. That was the year of the BP oil spill.

The report urges the federal Environmental Protection Agency to impose stricter water quality standards this fall when it revises criteria that have been in place since 1986.

If people were swimming in water that meets their proposed standards, approximately 1 in 28 risk getting sick, said Jon Devine, senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. We think that is too much of a risk. EPA needs to go back and come up with a stronger standard that protects more people when they go to the beach and consider other health effects.

Devine said the most common ailments are gastrointestinal illnesses, including nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.

The 10-page report, titled Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches, and a searchable database of testing results can be viewed at www.nrdc.org/beaches.

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