The Natural Resources Defense Council is an environmental group that tracks beach and water quality. In a report released Wednesday, South Carolina is ranked ninth out of 30 states for water quality. The findings are based on water samples tested for bacteria.
In 2010. the City of Myrtle Beach took 900 ocean water samples. Of those, eight percent showed bacteria levels higher than what the state considers safe.
When bacteria levels are higher, city officials say storm water runoff is often to blame.
To combat this the city has spent millions of dollars on three separate deep water outfalls that carry storm water 1,000 feet off shore.
"As part of the Boardwalk we spent $3.6 million in putting a linear storm water collection system under the south portion of the boardwalk and eventually that'll be tied to a deep water outfall at 4th Avenue North," said City of Myrtle Beach Spokesman Mark Kruea.
According to the report, Myrtle Beach State Park and Campground had the worst rate in the state with 15 percent of samples taken exceeding state bacteria levels.
