In Alabama, we’re pretty lucky. Visitors go to our local beaches expecting – and finding – beautiful and clean surroundings.

That’s not how it is in all beach locations in the U.S. In 2013, for example, America’s beaches experienced more than 20,000 closing and advisory days for the third consecutive year because of polluted water or threatened contamination, according to the beach water quality report by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Fortunately for us, Alabama’s beaches top the list of “superstar” beaches, which indicate “exceptionally low violation rates and strong testing and safety practices.”

The primary cause of pollution along U.S. shores is massive storm water runoff and sewage, which can raise bacteria levels to unhealthy ranges.

There are multiple ways to keep our beaches healthy, and many take place away from the water.

How’s that? Your choices at home, around town and, yes, on the water, all contribute to what goes into our waterways. Using less water, for example, keeps excess runoff and wastewater from flowing into the gulf. Reducing pollutants that go into the groundwater is another way to protect our water quality.

Plastic is one of the biggest sources of litter found in the open water, so buying less plastic and taking reusable bags to the grocery store will help cut back on the overall amount of trash building up in our coastal and inland waters.