Environmental advocates say North Carolina's beaches fared well in their latest water quality study. The Natural Resources Defense Council's 2012 "Testing The Waters" report examined many of the nation's beaches for levels of pollution.
NRDC researchers found that two percent of samples from North Carolina beaches registered higher than the state's maximum bacterial limit. Jon Devine, a senior attorney with the NRDC, says states like North Carolina are taking steps to stop bacterial contamination."Things like green infrastructure, directing flow from parking lots into vegetated areas so that's absorbed rather than being discharged untreated into the beach area, or remedying leaky septic systems can help clean up the beach," Devine says.
NRDC reports show North Carolina generally scores better on beach water quality than other states.