United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
4305T
EPA-823-F-04-01S
November 2004
Nationwide Bacteria Standards Protect Swimmers at
Beaches
Summary
EPA is taking an important step forward in fulfilling
the Administration's commitment to further protect the
quality of the nation 's beaches. EPA is establishing
more protective health-based federal bacteria criteria
for those states and territories bordering Great Lakes
or ocean waters that have not yet adopted criteria in
accordance with the BEACH Act of 2000. These
federal water quality criteria are part of the
Administration 's Clean Beaches Plan, which also
includes grants to states and territories for beach
monitoring and public notification programs, technical guidance, and scientific studies.
Background
The BEACH Act
The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act of 2000 requires each
state and territory with coastal recreation waters to adopt into their water quality standards by
April 10,2004, bacteria criteria that are "as protective of human health as" EPA's 1986 bacteria
criteria. The BEACH Act defines coastal recreation waters as the Great Lakes and coastal waters
(including coastal estuaries) that states, territories, and authorized tribes officially recognize (or
"designate") for swimming, bathing, surfing, or similar activities in the water.
The Bacteria Criteria
Most disease-causing microbes exist in very small amounts and are difficult and expensive to
find in water samples. "Indicator organisms" have been used for more than a century to help
identify where fecal contamination has occurred and, therefore, where disease-causing microbes
may be present. These organisms generally do not cause illness themselves. They do have
characteristics that make them good indicators that fecal contamination has occurred and that
harmful pathogens may be in the water.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, EPA conducted public health studies evaluating several
organisms as possible indicators, including fecal coliforms, E. coli, and enterococci. The studies
showed that enterococci was a very good predictor of illness in all waters, and E. coli was a very
good predictor in fresh waters. As a result, EPA recommended in 1986 the use of E. coli for
fresh recreational waters (criteria set at 126/lOOmL) and enterococci for fresh and marine
recreational waters (criteria set at 33/1 OOmL in freshwater and 35/1 OOmL in marine water).
These new recommendations replaced EPA's previously recommended bacteria criteria for fecal
coliform of 200/1 OOmL.
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What this rule does
Through this final rule, EPA is establishing federal criteria for those states and territories with
coastal recreation waters that have not yet adopted bacteria criteria as protective of health as
EPA’s 1986 criteria. Of the 35 states and territories that have coastal or Great Lakes recreational
waters, 14 have adopted criteria as protective of health as EPA’s recommended criteria for all
their coastal recreation waters, 5 have adopted criteria as protective as EPA’s recommended
criteria for some of their coastal recreation waters, and 13 states are in the process of adopting
protective criteria. When this final rule was issued, three states had not yet started adopting
EPA’s recommended criteria (Georgia, Louisiana, and Oregon). When a state or territory adopts
new standards as protective of human health as EPA’s 1986 bacteria criteria, EPA will approve
those standards and withdraw the federal criteria for that state or territory.
Status of Criteria Development
for Coastal Recreational Waters
in States & Territories
Adopted Criteria “as protective as” EPAs recommended criteria
Adopted Criteria as protective as” EPAs recommended criteria for some of their waters
[ II] In the process of adopting criteria “as protective as” EPA. recommended criteria
No Action Yet
viuttipie Gd les and projections
American Common alth of
Samoa Northern Marianas
I
Guam
Puerto Rico Virgin Islands
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States and temtones that have adopted criteria “as protective as” EPA’s recommended criteria :
Alabama Delaware New Jersey
American Samoa Guam South Carolina
Commonwealth of the Indiana Texas
Northern Mariana Islands Michigan Virginia
Connecticut New Hampshire Washington
States and territories that have adopted criteria” as protective as” EPA’s recommended criteria
for some of their coastal recreation waters :
California Maine Puerto Rico
Hawaii Ohio
States and temtories in the process of adoøting criteria “as protective as” EPA’s recommended
criteria .
Alaska Minnesota Pennsylvania
Florida Mississippi Rhode Island
Illinois New York Virgin Islands
Maryland North Carolina Wisconsin
Massachusetts
Other EPA and state efforts to protect recreational waters
EPA works with states and territories in a number of ways. Every year since 2001, EPA has
awarded about $10 million in grants to eligible states and temtories to develop and implement
beach water quality monitoring and notification programs in coastal and Great Lakes recreational
waters. EPA also funds beach-related research and provides technical support to states and
temtones. EPA is now developing new water quality criteria for the protection of swimmers,
based on new health studies that the Agency is conducting
How to find out whether a particular beach is safe
The best way to find out about the safety of a beach is to contact the local public health officials
who manage the beach State and local officials make public health decisions about beach use.
In many cases, they monitor for E co/i or enterococci to determine beach safety -- even though
the state may not have yet adopted these critena into their water quality standards.
To find local beach contacts, go to: www epa.gov/beaches/plan/whereyoulivestate.html .
For More Information
For more information on this final rule, please contact Lars Wilcut at 202-566-0447 or
wilcut lars@epa gov. More information about EPA’s Beaches Program is available at:
www epa.gov/beaches/. You can learn more about water quality standards by visiting
www.epa. gov/watersci ence/standards/.
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