Environmental Assessment > BEACH Home >  How the Program Works

How the Program Works

Monitoring

The BEACH Program monitors high-risk beaches for bacteria. Beaches are considered high-risk when they have a lot of recreational users and are located near potential bacteria sources. 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 bacteria called “enterococci.” The presence of this bacteria at elevated levels means there is a potential for disease-causing bacteria and viruses to also be present.

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  - View Signs
• Public information web sites
• 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.  Also see our Quality Assurance Project Plan.