Before you take that plane, train, or car ride this summer to the seaside, you may want to make sure the beach you are planning to visit is clean.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council’s annual beach quality report, some of the country’s most popular beaches are contaminated by storm water runoff and sewage that could cause stomach flu, skin rashes, pink eye, ear nose and throat problems,

The NRDC, in Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches, looks at 2011 data collected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from test results taken at more than 3,000 beaches nationwide and examines pollution factors, water testing practices and public notification systems.

The biggest reason for pollution is sewer runoff that can be laden with bacteria from animal and human waste, noted NRDC Water Program Director Steve Fleischili, who along with Jon Devine, the groups senior attorney, gave the report. As a result Americas beaches had the third-highest number of closings or advisories in the reports 22-year-history.

Our beaches are plagued by a sobering legacy of water pollution, said Devine. Luckily, today more than ever, we know that much of this filth is preventable and we can turn the tide against water pollution. By establishing better beachwater quality standards and putting untapped 21st century solutions in place we can make a day at the beach as carefree as it should be, and safeguard Americas vital tourism economies.

The reports findings shouldn’t keep all beach lovers away. The NRDC includes a guide that ranks 200 popular vacation beaches on a scale of one to five. Those that exceed the standards get 5 stars.

The NRDC also created a list of the top 12 cleanest beaches and the top 15 repeat offenders, along with an interactive map of 3,000 other beaches in the nation, that can be searched by zip code.

Some of the dirtiest

Some of the top offenders in NRDCs 2012 report are popular beaches in tourist areas such as California, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey, and they violate public standards for health, upwards of 25 percent of the time, Devine explained. The list is as follows:

–Avalon Beach in Los Angeles County, Calif.

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