Beach Advisories and Closures

In the State of Washington, the Public Health Officer is granted the authority for protecting people at publicly used recreational beaches.*

The BEACH Program works with local health authorities to evaluate heavily used marine saltwater beaches for fecal bacteria pollution problems. The results from weekly samples are used together with a beach survey to determine the level of risk of illness to the beach users.

The BEACH Program recommends that when the results from beach sampling are above EPA’s criteria of 104 colonies of enterococcus bacteria per 100 milliliters of water for a sample event or a geomean of 35 colonies of enterococcus per 100 milliliters of water for a five-week time period:

The beach is resampled as soon as possible.

A visual survey of the beach is done to determine potential fecal sources.

Sample results, including resample results, are used to help the Public Health Officer determine if the beach is a menace to the public and a beach posting is needed.

Beaches can also be posted with closure or advisory signs when a sewage spill affects a beach and deemed a threat to public safety. A sewage spill includes combined sewer overflows (CSO), sewage pipe rupture, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) malfunction or failure, and on-site septic tank system failure.

View Advisory & Closure Signs

*“WAC 246-260-180 Bathing beaches. No bathing beach shall be maintained or operated when such water is determined by the health officer to be so polluted or subject to pollution as to constitute a menace to health if used for bathing. Where bathhouse and toilet facilities are provided for use of bathers, they shall be constructed, maintained and operated in a sanitary manner approved by the health officer. [Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050. 91-02-051 (Order 124B), recodified as § 246-260-180, filed 12/27/90, effective 1/31/91; Regulation .98.070, effective 3/11/60.]”