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There are several things that you can do to improve the quality
of water at the beach. For example, you can learn more about
the quality of the water at your local beach, you can become
involved as a responsible citizen to reduce pollutants that
can wash into the water, and you can find out what state or
local agencies or departments are responsible for protecting
the quality of the water at your beach. Even if you don't
live at or near the beach, you can still protect the water
quality by learning how pollution in your local stream or
watershed affects water quality at downstream beaches.
Learn
- Check
Last Year's Local Beach Water Quality Conditions
Planning a trip? Use last year's reports to find out whether
a specific beach is being monitored, who is responsible for
the monitoring, the pollutants that are being monitored, and
if advisories or closures have been issued.
- In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Clean Water
Act, EPA presents a new edition ofthe brochure "Before
You Go to the Beach..." (PDF, 325KB) (May 21, 2002)
- Download
the original "Before You Go to the Beach"
(PDF 791 KB)
Since many factors affect the water quality at the beach,
it is important for you to know about the environmental
conditions that affect water quality. This brochure tells
you what you need to know about beach water pollution, the
health risks associated with swimming in polluted water,
and who to contact if you think the water at the beach is
contaminated.
Get Involved
- Get
Involved in Beach Protection and Clean Up Programs
There are many ways to get involved in protecting the nation's
beaches from water pollution. Getting involved in
a local clean up effort of other beach protection program
is a great way to assist federal, state, and local officials
in protecting your health while swimming at the beach.
- Protect
Coastal Waters from Nonpoint Source Pollution
When rain falls or snow melts, the seemingly negligible
amounts of chemicals and other pollutants around your home
and lawn get picked up and carried through storm drains
to the local waterway. This site lists specific "dos"
and "don'ts" that will help you reduce nonpoint
source pollution and become part of the solution to keeping
beach water clean.
- Participate
in EPA's Citizen's Voluntary Monitoring Program
Across the country, people are learning about water quality
issues and helping protect the nation's water resources
by becoming volunteer water quality monitors. Volunteers
analyze water samples for dissolved oxygen, nutrients, pH
and temperature; evaluate the health of stream habitats
and aquatic biological communities; inventory streambank
conditions and land uses that may affect water quality;
catalog and collect beach debris; and restore degraded habitats.
This site explains how you can get involved in monitoring
beach water quality.
- Surf Your Watershed
Most beach water is polluted from pollution-generating activities
upstream. Therefore, it is important for you to know about
pollutants entering the water from other communities. Surf
Your Watershed will help you learn about pollutants and
sources that affect the water quality in your local watershed.
- Adopt-Your-Watershed
Waterhsed groups are very effective in identifying and stopping
pollution problems by working through a local watershed group.
Join our national catalog of organizations involved in protecting
local water bodies, including formal watershed alliances, local
groups, and schools that conduct activities such as volunteer
monitoring, cleanups, and restoration projects.
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