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In 1975, people across America thought twice about going swimming in the ocean when Jaws hit theaters and warned viewers they’d never want to go into the water again after seeing the film despite the fact that you’re more likely to get hit by lightning than attacked by a shark.
Now, it turns out there’s now a new reason you might want to stay out of the water.
Every year, tens of millions of people flock to beaches across the country to dare the sun to give them cancer while lounging in the sand and cooling off in the ocean without a care in the world.
However, there’s now a new report that might make your trip to the coast not so carefree.
According to Gizmodo, the Environment America and Frontier Group recently conducted an investigation by examining the water at 4,523 beaches across 29 states (as well as Puerto Rico) and found that more than half of them have at least one day a year where bacteria levels in the water surpass the acceptable level established by the EPA.
The organization says the culprit is raw sewage and runoff that makes its way into the water, which can make swimmers fall victim to eye and ear infections as well as a stomach bug that results in some delightful puking and diarrhea that will give you the chance to further contribute to the problem.
As the outlet notes, most locales have agencies responsible for warning beachgoers when bacteria levels pose a risk, and while that’s certainly reassuring, I’m personally going to think twice about taking a dip from now on.