State and Local Beach Health Innovations and Success Stories
Fall 2003
EPA-823-N-03-001
Beach Currents is designed to promote communication between state, tribal, and local public health officials
about beach protection activities. This first edition features the experiences of Maine, Rhode Island, and
Wisconsin in developing their Beach Monitoring programs. We encourage all beach management professionals
to submit articles sharing their successes and challenges. To submit an article or to get more information about
the EPA Beaches Program, call 202-566-0444 or send an e-mail to ost-beaches@epa.gov.
Maine's Coastal Swim Beach Program
Helps Keep Beaches Safe
The Coastal Swim Beach Program is part of
a larger statewide effort called the Healthy
Beaches Program to ensure healthy, informed
opportunities for swimming and other rec-
reational water activities along the coast of
Maine. Currently, 15 towns and state parks
representing 27 beaches participate in the
program.
The Coastal Swim Beach Program has several
elements including (1) developing a statewide
structure to implement standardized quality-
assured monitoring and notification protocols;
(2) developing regional laboratories and field
and lab training; and (3) education and out-
reach: seeking public input along the way.
An exciting new project will address part of
the education and outreach component. It
uses marketing expertise to inform visitors to
Maine beaches about the risks of waterborne
illness, the monitoring program, and the
measures that can be used to ensure a safe
beach experience. The Coastal Swim Beach
Program is developing educational materi-
als to deliver information that could create
concern without also
causing a reaction
that might deter
visitors from going to
Maine's beaches.
In creating these
materials, the Coastal
Swim Beach Program
identified two audi-
ences—local residents
and the general
public. The pro-
gram is developing
a community guide
that gives participat-
ing towns and state
The beach
is not your
bathroom.
Please keep our beaches healthy
In this issue...
Maine's Coastal Swim Beach Program Helps Keep
Beaches Safe .
Rhode Island's Notification Program Reaches Swimmers
Before They Get to the Beach 2
Wisconsin DNR Walks the Coast to Create and Implement
a Beach Monitoring Program 3
News from EPA Regions and HQ's Beach Program 6
Surf Zone 7
For Your Beach Bag 7
Calendar of Events . . 8
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Maine's Coastal Swim Beach Program Helps Keep Beaches Safe (continued from page 1)
I
Welcome!
For your safety
and good health
this beach is part of the
Maine Healthy Beaches
Program.
naillcl.ejllllybcadles.olg
parks information
from A to Z about their
beaches and ways to in-
form beachgoers about
healthy practices at the
beach. Materials for a
more general audience
are informative and
sometimes funny. They
include a poster that
attracts attention, elicits
a smile, and gets an im-
portant message across
quickly. A companion
flyer provides more
in-depth information
about what beach visi-
tors can do to be sure beaches are safe places
to recreate. The Coastal Swim Beach Program
is using a marketing firm to create brochures,
a Web site, and advisory signs.
Maine's Coastal Swim Beach Program gives
the public opportunities to get involved in the
design, implementation, and evaluation of the
program. It has done this by devoting much
energy to getting public feedback.
A media campaign and public relations effort
will also let beach visitors know about the
risks of not using public restrooms and will
encourage them to change their behavior for
the good of all who use the beaches.
The public relations campaign will tackle
broader educational issues of monitoring and
the risks of waterborne illnesses. It will also lay
the foundation for more communication should
a situation arise that needs immediate public
attention. The program has also created an
educational and public relations radio campaign
that covers the entire Maine coast. Again, it
uses humor to get the message across. Visit
Maine for its beautiful, healthy beaches. While
you're driving to your favorite beach, listen to
the radio to hear a message from the Coastal
Swim Beach Program. Enjoy the beach!
For more information please contact:
Esperanza Stancioff
University of Maine Cooperative Extension
and Sea Grant
Phone: 207-832-0343 or 1-800-244-2104
e-mail: esp@umext.maine.edu
http://mainehealthybeaches.org/
Members of the public have
^ Participated in public meetings in each participating
municipality
* Helped design educational materials on a Web site
* Served on the Coastal Swim Beach Program Advisory
Board
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Rhode Island's Notification Program Reaches Swimmers Before They Get to the Beach (continued from page 2)
flag to alert the public that the beach is cur-
rently not safe for swimming. This method is
effective, but it requires the public to actually
go to the beach to learn it is closed. Imagine
how frustrating it is to load kids, coolers,
chairs, and toys into the car and fight traffic,
only to reach a beach that's closed to swim-
ming. HEALTH'S mission is to inform beach
users of a closure before they make that trip.
To better reach beach users, HEALTH uses
a Web site, a hotline, and press releases.
The beach Web site (www.health.ri.gov/
environment/beaches/index.html) displays
sampling results for all 123 licensed beaches
in Rhode Island. It also includes information
on closures/advisories and swimming-related
illnesses, recent publications, and a down-
loadable illness complaint form. Logging
more than 3,000 hits during the first month
of the summer season, the Web site is one
of HEALTH'S most popular and informative
tools for raising public awareness. HEALTH
will expand the Web site to include interac-
tive features like maps.
For those who don't have Internet access,
HEALTH has a 24-hour hotline (401-222-
2751) that lists all current closures and advi-
sories, provides contact information, and gives
HEALTH'S after-hours emergency phone
number.
Press releases are a very effective way to get
information to the public. HEALTH uses a
standard press release that can be faxed to
the major print, radio, and television outlets
in Rhode Island. Press releases are issued
almost daily to publicize the status of
beaches.
When the decision to close a beach
is made, HEALTH notifies the
beach and updates the hotline and xr.
Web site. It also distributes the press
release within an hour of receiving the
sample results. Over time, the media have
become accustomed to checking HEALTH'S
Web site and hotline for beach closures.
Several times they've called for more
information about a closure before the press
release was distributed.
For more information about the Rhode
Island Department of Health's Beach
Monitoring Program, visit the Web site
(www.health.ri.gov/environment/beaches) or
contact David Burnett (401-222-7727).
Wisconsin DNR Walks the Coast to Create
and Implement a Beach Monitoring Program
Lake Michigan and Lake Superior offer the
state of Wisconsin valuable natural resources
for aquatic recreational activities. There are
important social and economic benefits to
providing safe and healthy aquatic recre-
ational activities to the public.
The 2003 beach season marked the first
comprehensive beach monitoring program in
Wisconsin. Funded by a grant from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
(DNR) is directing the monitoring program
at the Great Lakes coastal waters of Lake
Michigan and Lake Superior. The program
allows for prompt public notification when-
ever bacteria levels exceed EPA's established
criteria. It also helps communities along the
lakeshore improve their ability to monitor
and notify beach users of the risks associated
with high bacteria levels.
In March 2001, the DNR solicited the assis-
tance of a 12-member BEACH Act Workgroup
with local health department officials and
interested parties. The goal of the Workgroup
continued on page 4
Beach Currents Fall 2003
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Wisconsin DNR Walks the Coast to Create and Implement a Reach Monitoring Program (continued from page 3)
was to assist the Department in developing a
consistently implemented beach monitoring
and public notification program. To develop a
program that meets EPA's published guidance
and performance criteria DNR had to:
• Identify all public beaches along Lake
Michigan and Lake Superior.
• Evaluate and classify each beach as
"high," "medium," or "low" priority.
• Develop a monitoring scheme for each
category.
• Standardize testing and sampling
methods.
• Develop methods to notify the public of
health risks.
• Develop methods to notify EPA.
• Secure public input.
What Beaches?
Because there were no maps, files, or other
information listing public beaches and their
locations all the public beaches had to be
located. After many phone calls and Internet
searches, 60 beaches were identified.
The first step in the process of identifying
the public beaches was to define "beach". In
keeping with the BEACH Act, the Department
defined beach as
A publicly owned shoreline or land area,
not contained in a man-made structure,
located on the shore of Lake Michigan or
Lake Superior, that is used for swimming,
recreational bathing or other water contact
recreational activity.
Next, the DNR hired field staff who drove
the entire coast of Lake Michigan and Lake
Superior searching visiting beaches. They
identified 173 public beaches along the two
lakes, and staff literally walked the coast using
global positioning system (GPS) and geo-
graphic information system (GIS) technolo-
gies to geo-locate each beach. County maps
showing the location of each beach were de-
veloped. The maps identify coastal recreation
waters, points of access by the public, length
of beach, and possible sources of pollution.
In addition to collecting the GIS data, DNR
assessed the effectiveness of current notifica-
tion procedures and identified the audience.
Field staff conducted a random survey of 164
beach users, asking for general information
about who they are, how they use the beach,
and what they know (and want to know)
about using their beaches.
What Did the Public Have to Say?
In December 2002 and January 2003, public
meetings were held around the state to pres-
ent the BEACH Act Workgroup's proposals
and get comments from the public. Public
comment was instrumental in beach ranking
decisions. The locals were more familiar with
the beaches in their areas and gave correct
names, locations, and information on beach
popularity. While they were generally very
positive and excited about the program the
public was concerned that more wasn't being
done to eliminate sources of fecal contamina-
tion to beaches.
The Beach Monitoring Plan
Beaches will be evaluated and classified as
"high," "medium," or "low" priority
(based primarily on the
number of
- continued on page 5
Beach Currents Fall 2003
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Wisconsin DNR Walks the Coast to Create and Implement a Beach Monitoring Program (continued from page 4)
people who frequent the beach and, second-
arily, the potential for fecal contamination).
The general monitoring plan includes:
• Monitoring for all beaches beginning 1
week before the swim season
• Samples collected from the middle of the
typical bathing area. For longer beaches,
one sample for every 500 meters of beach.
• Samples will also be collected whenever
there is a heavy rainfall, when the potential
exists for fecal contamination, and
immediately following any exceedance of
water quality criteria.
High-priority beaches will be monitored at
least 5 days each week, medium-priority
beaches will be monitored at least twice a
week, and low-priority beaches will be moni-
tored on a case-by-case basis.
The Public Notification Plan
Information from the social survey and the
public meetings was used to help determine
the best ways to notify the public.
Signs
Wisconsin has a standard format for state-
wide beach advisory, beach closure, and
beach opening signs. The signs distributed to
all beaches along the Great Lakes involved in
the monitoring program were developed in
English, Spanish, and the Hmong languages.
Brochures
Wisconsin has a brochure that addresses
concerns expressed by survey respondents
describing in detail when advisories will be
posted and removed and when beaches will
be closed.
Web Sites
Wisconsin has partnered with the US
Geological Survey (USGS) and the Southeast
Beach Task Force to develop the Great Lakes
Beach Health Web site. The public can get
real-time data and advisory information for all
beaches monitored along the Great Lakes.
Media Partnering
Beach status reports in several languages will
be aired regularly with the weather reports
during the beach season on newspapers,
radio, and television.
What's Next?
A follow-up survey of beach users will be
administered in late August to evaluate the ef-
fectiveness of the public notification process.
DNR will meet with local officials in the fall
to talk about how to improve the program for
the 2004 beach season.
For more information please contact:
Toni Glymph
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Phone: 608-850-3873
E-mail: Toni.Glymph@dnr.state.wi.us
fs?SJ^
Beach Currents Fall 2003
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News from EPA Regions and
HQ's Beach Program
2003 Beach Act Grants
In June 2003, EPA estimated that Americans
make a total of 910 million trips to coastal
areas each year, spending about $44 billion.
EPA announced that nearly $10 million in
grants is available to 35 eligible
states and territories to protect
public health at the Nation's
beaches. Targeted at improv-
ing monitoring at beaches
and notifying the public of
beach warnings or closings,
the beach grants vary from
$149,025 to $544,552. Grant
amounts are based on the length
of the beach season, the miles of
shoreline, and the number of people living
near the shoreline.
These grant funds are designed to ensure that the
public is more informed and receives better pro-
tection when traveling to various beaches across
the country.
2002 National Health Protection
Survey of Beaches
The results of the National Health Protection
Survey of Beaches for the 2002 swim season
are now available. The 2002 survey includes
information on 2,823 beaches (2,031 coastal and
792 inland). A beach advisory or closing typically
occurs when levels of pathogen indicators ex-
ceed a water quality standard. One-fourth
of the beaches had at least one advisory
or area closed during the 2003 swimming
season. The main reason for an advisory
or closing was elevated bacteria levels. The
second largest source identified was storm water
runoff. Generally respondents didn't know what
the source of pollution was. Review individual
state results at http://yosemite.epa.gov/water/
beach2003.nsf.
Beach Info Listserve
EPA headquarters has begun a "beachinfo" list-
serve to provide a forum for discussing various
recreational beach program issues. To become a
member, send an email to beachinfo-subscribe®
lists.epa.gov.
New Test Methods
In Guidelines Establishing Test Procedures for the
Analysis of Pollutants: Analytical Methods for
Biological Pollutants in Ambient Water (USEPA,
2003), EPA approved test methods for the analy-
sis of E. coli, enterococci, Cryptosporidium, and
Giardia in fresh ambient water. In addition, EPA
approved test methods for the analysis of entero-
cocci in marine ambient water. States and local
regulators use these test methods to assess the
public health risks from ambient concentrations
of microbial contaminants in recreational waters.
The methods include "most probable number"
and membrane filtration methods for enumerat-
ing E. coli and enterococci in ambient water. For
Giardia and Cryptosporidium, the tests involve
improved filtration, immunomagnetic separation,
and flourescent antibody methods.
Beach Currents Fall 2003
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'r
Resources for Local Beach Health Information
The following resources are just a few that report local beach water quality conditions.
Several resources will be highlighted in each issue.
Surf rider's Sfafe of ffie Beach
The Surf rider Foundation's State of the Beach report is an annual update on the health of the Nation's beaches. It
empowers concerned citizens and coastal managers by giving them the information they need to take action. For 21
coastal states and territories, Surfrider offers beach descriptions and reviews topics like beach access, water quality,
beach erosion, and beach nourishment, www.beach.com/stateofthebeach/
Earth 911
A partnership effort between Earth 911, Oceana, and participating states and communities provide specific informa-
tion generated and uploaded directly by local government agencies regarding the most recent water quality condi-
tions at local beaches. Through their Web site, you can also sign up to receive an email containing information on
your beaches current conditions, news, events and activities. www.earth9TT.org/WaterQuality/index.asp
NRDC Report
Each year, NRDC's Testing the Waters, details beachwater monitoring practices, standards and testing methods in
37 states and territories, and also reports on whether local authorities notify the public when beachwater pollution
is discovered. This years survey, published in August 2003, is based on information reported for 2002 and finds that
beach closings and advisories in 2002 reached the second highest level in 13 years. Across the country, pollution
caused more than 12,000 closings and advisories at surveyed beaches in 2002. Maps providing beach-by-beach rat-
ings are a web-only feature of the report, www.nrdc.org/water/oceans/ttw/titinx.asp
New Jersey Ocean Beach Information
A state-run Web site provides information on to New Jersey's ocean beach water quality and public access. The New
Jersey Department of Environmental Protection administers the Cooperative Coastal Monitoring Program with
the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services and local environmental health agencies. Recreational
beach water quality is monitored routinely on Mondays and through the week as necessary at 187 ocean moni-
toring stations. You can find monitoring results for each beach and maps of sampling locations on the Web
site, www.njbeaches.org/
_ New Publications and Resources
EPA Status Report: Bacterial Water Quality Standards for Recreational Waters (USEPA, 2003)
is a brief overview of the bacterial water quality standards for state marine and fresh recreational
waters, www.epa.gov/waterscience/beaches
Time-Relevant Beach and Recreational Water Quality Monitoring and Reporting (USEPA, 2002) tells
how to design and implement a time-relevant water quality monitoring program for beaches and other
recreational waters. www.epa.gov/ord/NRMRL/Pubs
Beach Currents Fall 2003
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AousBy
Calendar of Events
The National Beach Conference in fall 2004. This 2-day conference will focus on key issues
involved in implementing a recreational beach program. Topics include BEACH Act grants, components
of a beach program (including monitoring and public notification), and updates to new research (such
as rapid methods). Stay tuned for more details.
The Region 5 annual conference on recreational water quality will be held in Muskegon,
Michigan, October 21-22, in conjunction with the State of Lake Michigan 2003 conference.
First Annual Sustainable Beaches Summit
The Clean Beaches Council (CBC) is pleased to announce the convening of
the first annual "Sustainable Beaches Summit." The Summit is scheduled to
meet March 29-31, 2004, in Walton County, Florida. The Sustainable
Beaches Summit (The Summit) is an effort to bring together a diverse cross-
section of beach professionals and coastal educators from federal agencies,
state and local governments, non-governmental organizations, academia,
and industry. The Summit will facilitate and enhance the body of knowledge
encompassing beach and natural resource management, coastal tourism and
development, recreation, and conservation. For further information on the
Summit, please contact Michelle Pilliod at CBC (pilliodmp@aol.com).
The material in this document has been subjected to Agency technical and policy review and approved for publication as an EPA report. The
views expressed by individual authors, however, are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Beach Currents Fall 2003
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