Do you have a problem swimming in Lake Erie?  Maybe you’ll think twice when you read this.  So if you don’t want to ruin your plans for a day at the beach, maybe you better click on something else.

Only one state in the nation has more polluted water off their beaches than Ohio. And Cuyahoga County beaches are the most polluted in the state.   Of the 63 beaches monitored by the state of Ohio, the waters off Euclid Beach and Villa Angela were among the worst in the state in 2011  for exceeding state standards for pollution. Euclid Beach was polluted 43% of the time; Villa Angela 50%.

The big problem is raw sewage runoff, because our antiquated sewer systems are in such bad shape. Click here for the whole story, and the complete list, from the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The only beaches that never exceeded state standards for pollution last year were Kelley’s Island and South Bass Island, the home of Put-in-Bay.  So you might want to take a trip to the islands before you take a dip in the water.