![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Introduction
Is the water at your beach safe?
Just about everybody enjoys going to the beach! Our lake, river, and ocean beaches are Americans' top vacation choices. Americans take almost two billion trips to the beach each year and spend billions of dollars in beach communities.
The water at your beach looks clean, but is it? It may be worth your while to find out before you or your children go swimming. Each year states across the country report thousands of beach closings at rivers, lakes, and oceans due to disease-causing microorganisms that you cannot see. Many other beaches may also be polluted, but if the water is not monitored and the results are not posted, you won't know whether you run the risk of getting sick. Our Beaches Environmental Assessment, Closure and Health Program ("BEACH Program") is working with state, tribal and local governmental partners to make sure you have beach water quality information before you swim.
What is polluting our beaches?
The most frequent sources of disease-causing micro-organisms (pathogens) are sewage overflows, polluted storm water runoff, sewage treatment plant malfunctions, boating wastes and malfunctioning septic systems.
| Micro-organisms | Some Illnesses & Symptoms |
|---|---|
| Bacteria | Gastroenteritis (includes diarrhea and abdominal pain), salmonellosis (food poisoning), cholera. |
| Viruses | Fever, common colds, gastroenteritis, diarrhea, respiratory infections, hepatitis. |
| Protozoa | Gastroenteritis, cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis (including diarrhea, and abdominal cramps), dysentery. |
| Worms | Digestive disturbances, vomiting, restlessness, coughing, chest pain, fever, diarrhea. |
Are there public health risks?
Swimming in unsafe water may result in minor illnesses, such as sore throats or diarrhea. It might also result in more serious illnesses such as meningitis, encephalitis, or severe gastroenteritis. Children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems have a greater chance of getting sick when they come in contact with contaminated water.
Who is monitoring the water at my beach?
Across the country, state, tribal, and local health and environmental protection agencies are responsible for monitoring the quality of water at beaches and posting warnings or closing beaches when pollutant levels in the water are too high. In practice, however, monitoring and beach posting programs are inconsistent. Some areas have good monitoring and posting programs; others have inadequate or no programs at all. EPA established the BEACH Program to provide a framework for local governments to develop equally protective and consistent programs across the country.
What is the BEACH Program?
EPA's BEACH Program aims to protect the health of beach goers through
- assistance to state, tribal, and local health and environmental officials in designing, developing and implementing beach monitoring and advisory programs, and
- by providing the public with information about the risks associated with swimming in contaminated water.
We intend to exercise a variety of authorities and programs to ensure effective state, tribal, and local beach programs are put into operation. Strong water quality standards, improved scientific methods, and providing information to the public are the key elements of the BEACH Program. Nationwide implementation of strong, consistent beach programs will provide the public with important information about the quality of their beach water and allow them to make decisions on when and where to swim. This document provides a brief overview of beach pollution problems and what we are doing to keep you and your family safe when swimming.
New Jersey: A Good Role Model
Since 1974, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has had an effective coastal monitoring program 
. Under its program, local health agencies sample beach waters for bacterial indicators of fecal contamination. They also investigate potential sources of pollution. This sampling data enables local health agencies to respond immediately when they observe potential risks to human health.
New Jersey health agencies collect several water samples from over 300 sites each week during swimming season. A beach is closed when more than one sample per week shows a potential problem. The beach is not reopened until tests show the water is safe for swimming.
In addition, New Jersey DEP and 94 coastal municipalities are working to eliminate causes of beach pollution. Municipalities are mapping their storm water and sewage lines, identifying interconnections, and monitoring storm water discharged to coastal waters. In recent years, beach closings were generally localized and associated with specific storm or rain events. Improvement in storm water management is expected to further decrease beach closings each year.
