Newport Beach Named One of the Cleanest Beaches in the U.S.

View article on the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce website

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (July 31, 2009) -- The popular beach vacation destination of Newport Beach in Southern California has been named one of the cleanest beaches in the U.S., receiving a five-star rating reported in "Testing the Waters 2009," an annual survey of water quality by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The beaches near Balboa Pier and Newport Pier both received 5-star ratings.

As part of its annual report on beach water quality, NRDC used a five-star system to rate a selection of popular beaches across the country. NRDC evaluated 200 popular beaches, some with multiple segments that are monitored separately. In total, 344 beach water quality sampling points from these 200 beaches are rated. See the ratings of 200 popular beaches or read the full report from the NRDC.


Southern California's Orange County had the nation's highest number of five-star-beaches under the report's rating system, which considered health standard violations, frequency of water sampling and how promptly beachgoers were informed of pollution. The highly rated Orange County locales include Bolsa Chica State Beach, Laguna Beach and Newport Beach.

"Yet another important environmental group has affirmed that Newport's ocean waters and beaches are among the best in the country in terms of water quality," said Dave Kiff, Assistant City Manager, City of Newport Beach. "We work hard to keep our beaches clean -- from good beach maintenance to minimizing urban runoff through education and enforcement against polluters. Summer 2009 has brought us great water temperatures, great water quality, and good water visibility, too. We welcome the many visitors who come to enjoy our clean ocean beaches."

For up-to-the-minute information on water quality at Orange County beaches, residents and visitors alike can check www.ocbeachinfo.com.