Growing up in the Adirondacks, I spent every summer swimming in the waters of Lake George. One of my favorite spots was Million Dollar Beach, a popular stretch of the lake’s shoreline near downtown Lake George where I made countless cherished memories with my friends and family. During my trips to the beach, my sisters and I would have handstand competitions in the shallow waters or I would play games of Marco Polo with my friends until the beach closed and we took our adventures to the nearby arcade or one of the town’s many ice cream shops.
In recent years, though, I stopped my visits. The beach has faced repeated closures due to sewage contamination and stormwater runoff that result in dangerous levels of fecal bacteria in the water.
This pollution is particularly devastating for Lake George, which has been nicknamed “Queen of American Lakes” due to its long-running status as one of the cleanest lakes in the U.S.
But Lake George is hardly alone in facing this type of pollution. As documented in the latest Safe for Swimming? report by Environment America Research & Policy Center, 61% of coastal and Great Lakes beaches tested had at least one day where bacteria levels put swimmers at risk in 2024. And 453 of those beaches were potentially unsafe for swimming on at least one-quarter of days tested last year.
Common causes of this pollution include outdated wastewater and stormwater structures in need of repair. In 2025, the American Society of Civil Engineers rated the U.S. wastewater system as a D+. That’s certainly the case around Lake George, where around 4,000 of the 6,000 private septic systems likely need replacement or maintenance, according to the Lake George Association.
To guarantee clean water, the U.S. will have to make substantial investments towards repairing and updating this infrastructure. Communities will need at least $630 billion for sewage and stormwater infrastructure over the next 20 years, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
This need is why Congress must increase funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF), which currently covers less than 20% of this annualized wastewater cost. Of crucial importance for Lake George, the SRF gives states the ability to assist homeowners fixing or replacing leaky septic systems.
In addition to the inherent worth of clean water, such investments also provide economic benefits. Lake George’s clean waters attract more than 3 million visitors each year, which generates more than $2 billion annually in economic activity and creates around 19,000 jobs in the area, according to a report from the New York Department of State. In short, towns like mine depend on clean water.
Yet Congress recently took a step in the wrong direction. On July 23rd, the House Appropriations Committee recently approved a spending bill that would cut funding for the Clean Water SRF by 26 percent.
For everyone to continue enjoying beaches and waterways like I did growing up with the “Queen of American Lakes,” Congress must make stronger investments in fixing wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.
