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Department of Ecology News Release - May 13, 2008
08-124
OLYMPIA – If you kayak, dig shellfish, scuba dive, surf, swim, or wade along Washington’s saltwater beaches, you may want to give the state some advice.
Does it have the best list of beaches it should monitor for bacteria contamination this year?
Washington’s saltwater beaches can be contaminated with bacteria from human and animal waste that can make people sick.
To reduce the risk of people getting sick this summer, the Washington departments of Ecology and Health are once again leading the BEACH (Beach Environmental Assessment, Communication and Health) monitoring Program.
The program protects beach-goers by testing Washington’s most popular saltwater beaches for fecal bacteria. It notifies the public when the bacteria results are high, and educates people about what they can do to avoid getting sick from playing in saltwater.
This summer, the program proposes to monitor 53 of the state’s most popular saltwater beaches. The number is down from 63 last year and 72 the year before, when volunteers buoyed the effort.
“It’s even more important this year that we have the best list because our funding allows us to monitor fewer beaches than last year,” said Lynn Schneider, coordinator of the BEACH Program.
The program is comprised of state, county and local agencies, tribal governments, volunteers, and residents. It is funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It takes two things into consideration — the popularity of the beach and the potential for the beach to be polluted.
Each year, the program modifies its list of monitored beaches when it discovers that some beaches are cleaner than others. At the same time, the program tracks the most popular beaches among more than 900 along Puget Sound and the Washington coast.
Schneider says many but not all sources of bacteria can be prevented. Bacteria can get into swimming beaches from untreated or partially treated discharges from wastewater treatment plants, improperly functioning septic systems, wildlife and from unknown sources.
People can help keep bacteria out of beaches, Schneider said. Scoop, bag and trash dog poop. Check your on-site sewage system to make sure it is maintained and working properly.
The BEACH Program has a Web site and an e-mail notification “Listserv” that people can subscribe to for notices about the status of water conditions at the state’s beaches, facts about recreational water illnesses, and links to resources for more detailed information. The Web site is located at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/beach/ .
Washington residents are invited to comment on the departments’ draft list of beaches through June 2. The list is also available at the site by selecting “Beach List.”
E-mail comments or questions about the program to Schneider at lysc461@ecy.wa.gov or mail them to Lynn Schneider, Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47710, Olympia, Wash., 98504-7600.
Nationally, Recreational Water Illness Prevention Week is May 19-25, 2008. For more information, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming/rwi_prevention_week.htm .
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Media contacts: Sandy Howard, Department of Ecology, 360-407-6408
Donn Moyer, Department of Health, 360-236-4076
BEACH Program Web site: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/beach/
List of beaches by county: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/beach/2008beachlist.html
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
