What looked like a typical beach bash on Carson Beach in South Boston Friday was also a celebration that the water was clean enough to swim in.
Countless beaches have been temporarily closed to swimming throughout the summer due to unsafe levels of bacteria in the water. Last week, the water was off limits at more than a dozen beaches on the South Shore.
The state says the rain is to blame for most of it because runoff can lead to more bacteria. They do test the water daily.
Save the Harbor, Save the Bay, an advocacy group who put on the event Friday says it is important to highlight what has been done at Carson Beach in Southie to keep it from happening there.
They say investments and infrastructure improvements protects Carson Beach from most pollutants. When other beaches are forced to close due to bacteria, it is usually able to remain open.
“Just 10 years ago this beach was closed to swimming one out of every five days because of bacterial pollution on the beach,” Bruce Berman of Save the Harbor, Save the Bay said.
More than 500 kids from across the region took part in Friday’s event, running into the water at Carson Beach and highlighting what the group says is just one example of a solution that is working.
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“We put a red flag up when the water iss dirty and a blue flag when it’s clean,” Berman said. “The goal is no need for flags at all. Beaches that are safe and clean for swimming every day.”