SAN MARCOS, Texas — Researchers are hoping to make Texas beaches a little safer and cleaner.
A 2022 study by Environment America found that 90% of Texas beaches had at least one day of unsafe fecal contamination, surpassing the national average of 55%.
Now, a new research program is hoping to get that number down.
Researchers at Texas State University in San Marcos are working to develop an environmental forensic approach to understanding and predicting fecal bacterial contamination as a tool for coastal management.
The study will focus on Texas bays and beaches with historically high levels of bacteria, such as those in Harris and Matagorda counties.
The program is getting a boost from federal funding, too. Rep. Greg Casar just awarded the research center $500,000.
With the Fourth of July approaching, the beaches in Galveston will be packed with people celebrating. If the talk about water contamination worries you, you can always check the fecal bacterial levels on the Texas Beach Watch website.