BOSTON — Mingo Beach in Beverly Farms is known for its rocky shores and breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean, but its water quality is among the lowest in the state, according to a new report.

A popular spot for students at nearby Endicott College, the beach failed to meet stringent new federal government standards for water quality, a report from the National Resource Defense Council found. Of 18 water samples taken there in 2013, at least 44 percent exceeded daily bacterial maximum, the report said.

“That’s kind of nasty,” said Carol Perkins, 23, of Peabody. “I swim on that beach a lot.”

Nationwide, NRDC collected the results of water samples from nearly 3,500 beaches in 2013.

But only 35 of those beaches made the “superstar” level, including popular Singing Beach in Manchester, while Gloucester’s Good Harbor Beach and Rockport’s Long Beach also received high grades.

Unlike previous reports, the Washington D.C.-based environmental group used tough, new standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to assess the level of beach contamination. The benchmarks use lower levels of acceptable water pollution from human and animal waste to gauge the potential health impact on beachgoers.

State ranks 14th

Overall, Massachusetts ranked 14 out of 30 states for beach water quality. The state had 10 percent of its samples exceed daily bacterial maximum, a 4 percent increase from 2012, the report said.

Beach water pollution can cause a range of illnesses in swimmers including skin rashes, pinkeye, ear, nose and throat problems, dysentery, respiratory ailments and other serious health problems, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which monitors water quality in the state.

For senior citizens, small children and people with weak immune systems, the results can be fatal, according to state health officials. The incidence of infections has been increasing over the past several decades, and with coastal populations growing, the numbers are expected to climb.

“Sewage and contaminated runoff in the water should never ruin a family beach trip,” said NRDC senior attorney Jon Devine.“But no matter where you live, urban slobber and other pollution can seriously compromise the water quality at your favorite beach and make your family sick.”

North Shore beaches from Salisbury to Lynn got mixed reviews in the report.

In Marblehead, at least three beaches frequently had bacteria contamination last year — Gas House, Stramski and Grace Oliver’s. But other beaches in town, including Devereux and three beaches at the YMCA’s Children’s Island camp, didn’t exceed any of the 21 water quality tests taken last year.

Rockport, Gloucester scores

Meanwhile, Rockport’s Long Beach and Gloucester’s Good Harbor Beach both rated as among the cleanest in the state and nation, with zero instances of contamination.

Rockport officials attributed the town’s pristine beach water to pollution-control efforts.

“Over the years, we’ve been requiring homeowners to replace aging septic systems, which has really improved the water quality,” said Leslie Whelan, Rockport’s health agent, who monitors water quality at the town’s beaches. “We’re definitely proud that our beaches are among the cleanest in the state.”

Beyond Good Harbor, however, Gloucester’s Wingaersheek Beach showed high bacteria counts in 6 percent of 16 samples taken, while Pavilion Beach showed bacteria counts above the safe limits in 17 percent of its samples.

The state health department uses less stringent federal standards to assess water quality.

The report’s authors said the findings aren’t meant as an indictment of state or local environmental regulators nor failure “to protect public health when beach water quality is poor.”

Clean Water Act

The report comes as state and national environmental groups push for tough new regulations aimed at extending federal Clean Water Act protections for inland streams and wetlands to minimize polluted runoff that contributes to poor beach water quality and promotes algae blooms. The EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have proposed new rules, which are being reviewed by regulators.

“To get clean water on the beach, we have to protect our natural resources from headwaters to the ocean,” said Christopher Kilian, a senior attorney with the New England chapter of the Conservation Law Foundation. “If you ignore the upstream water, you’re going to have pollution, because that water ultimately flows into the seas.”

This article was written by Christian M. Wade who covers the Massachusetts Statehouse. He can be reached at cwade@cnhi.com Follow him on Twitter: @cmwade1969.

For more information, check out this interactive map:http://www.nrdc.org/water/oceans/ttw/ma.asp.