As summer temperatures soar across Texas, concerns about bacterial contamination in the state’s beaches have prompted a new effort to use artificial intelligence to monitor bacteria levels.
A 2022 study by Environment Texas raised alarms about bacterial hazards at Texas beaches, finding that 55 out of 61 tested beaches along the Gulf Coast exceeded safe levels of fecal bacteria on at least one testing day.
Environment Texas executive director Luke Metzger told KUT News about the risks associated with such contamination, warning of potential severe health threats for swimmers.
“There are levels of fecal bacteria (at Texas beaches) above what the federal government deems safe. If you were to either ingest that water that’s been contaminated or have an open wound and then be exposed to the contamination that way, you could get really, really sick,” Metzger told KUT.
The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University is spearheading the new AI monitoring efforts. Partnering with community scientists across Texas, researchers will collect bacteria samples from key locations, including Matagorda Bay, Galveston, and the Colorado River. These samples will be analyzed using AI technology to predict bacteria levels and trends, aiming to provide real-time information to the public, reported KUT.
Ultimately, the new initiative aims to provide beachgoers with timely data about water safety and the bacteria levels in their local beach waters.
Jenna Walker, director of watershed services at The Meadows Center, likened the AI tool to a predictive robot that organizes historical data to forecast future bacteria levels within beach waters. AI could revolutionize how Texans schedule beach vacations and how the state deals with future contamination issues.
“Think of it as a robot that receives test results and is trained to make predictions for the future based on past trends,” Walker explained to KUT.
Walker also confirmed that this new capability, funded by a $500,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is set to launch on September 1 of this year, promising enhanced beach monitoring within the next six months.
Clean Coast Texas, a leading partner in the initiative, will integrate these findings into its Beach Watch program, offering an interactive map for beachgoers to access bacteria counts before hitting the shore, per KUT.
According to TexasBeachWatch, multiple beaches spanning the Texas coastline are testing positive for medium levels of bacterial contamination as of July 2, but none are at the “high” level threshold, requiring a warning advisory.
Fecal contamination in beach waters originates from urban runoff, sewage overflows, and manure from industrial livestock production. In 2022, approximately half of all the beaches tested across the United States exhibited potentially unsafe contamination levels, according to Axios.