3 NH Beaches Rated Tops in the Nation

Three New Hampshire beaches were rated tops in the nation for water quality.

The "superstar" beaches are: Hampton Beach State Park, Wallis Sands Beach at Wallis Road and Wallis Sands State Park beach.

The Natural Resources Defense Council’s annual Testing the Waters report reviewed hundreds of coastal beaches nationwide but only 35 get the top rating for having "consistently and exceptionally clean water quality with low exceedance rates of relevant public health benchmarks in the last five years."

"Considering that 2013 was a difficult year for water quality because of numerous heavy rain events, New Hampshire residents can be proud of our coastal water quality and our efforts to maintain these levels. Everyone can take simple steps to prevent beach pollution in all locations. Picking up pet waste, maintaining septic systems, putting swim diapers with plastic covers on babies and keeping trash off the beach can help keep our waters clean. By working together, we can have even more “superstar” beaches in New Hampshire," Tom Burack, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, said in a press release.

The state runs a Beach Inspection Program to monitor the water at New Hampshire public swimming beaches from late May until early September. 

Jeff Rose, commissioner of New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development, also lauded the Division of Parks and Recreation and beach-goers for helping to provide for a clean beach experience.

"Hampton Beach and Wallis Sands State Parks hosts hundreds of thousands visitors a year, we are proud to offer them Superstar Beaches," Rose said in the release.