How the Program Works

Monitoring
The BEACH Program monitors high-risk beaches for bacteria. Monitoring can indicate pollution from sewage treatment plant problems, boating waste, malfunctioning septic systems, animal waste, or other sources of fecal pollution.

We monitor for an indicator organism called “enterococci.” If we find a high level of enterococci, we collect more samples and look for fecal coliform and E. coli

Notification
Local health authorities notify the public when bacteria levels are above threshold limits, or the county has determined that a pollution event has occurred. The public is notified of these risks by:

• Warning signs posted at the beach
  Advisory & Closure Signs

• Public information Web site

• Press releases

• Listserv
  Join the listserv

Education
The BEACH Program strives to educate the public about the risks associated with polluted water and what each of us can do to reduce that risk.  Visit our Advice page to find out more about staying healthy at the beach.  Our Science page can teach you the in-depth technical details of bacteria monitoring.  If you are an educator looking for Educational Resources, you are welcome to use our products.

Guidance Document
For detailed information on our program, you can download the BEACH Program Guidance Document.