/q\ EPA's BEACH Report:
\^j^/ Maryland 2010 Swimming Season
May 2011
Introduction
The BEACH Act of 2000 requires that coastal and Great
Lakes states and territories report to EPA on beach moni-
toring and notification data for their coastal recreation
waters. 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.
This fact sheet summarizes beach monitoring and notifi-
cation data submitted to EPA by the State of Maryland for
the 2010 swimming season.
Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE)
works with local health departments and the Maryland
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH)
Laboratory to enhance beach water quality monitoring
and improve the public notification process for beach
water quality in Maryland. MarvlandHealthyBeaches.
com provides location and notification information for
each beach. This website also provides information
to beachgoers about Maryland's Beaches Program
and environmentally healthy practices at Maryland's
beaches.
Water quality assessment begins prior to the beach sea-
son when local health departments collect water samples
from beaches and perform beach Pollution Source
Surveys to ensure that there are no nearby pollution
sources that may adversely impact water quality. MDE
provides local health departments with a recently devel-
oped technology-based data collection system to conduct
beach Pollution Source Surveys.
Local health departments collect water quality samples
from beaches before and during the beach season. These
samples are sent to the DHMH Laboratory for analysis.
Water quality results that exceed Maryland's water qual-
ity standards are immediately reported to local health
departments so that beach managers can issue a notifica-
tion if needed. MDE assembles and submits the monitor-
ing and notification data to EPA.
In 2010, MDE worked with Salisbury University and
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and
Environmental Control to conduct a study to address
questions about the degree to which populations of fecal
indicator organisms found in sediment contribute to
those found in beach water, and the length of time fecal
indicator organisms found in sand can survive. The
study also looked at the possibility for regrowth. The
findings should be final by the summer of 2011.
Table 1. Breakdown of monitored and
unmonitored coastal beaches
by county for 2010.
County
Total
Beaches
Monitored
Not
Monitored
ANNE
ARUNDEL
28
28
0
BALTIMORE
4
4
0
CALVERT
10
10
0
CECIL
5
5
0
KENT
6
6
0
QUEEN
ANNE'S
2
2
0
SOMERSET
2
2
0
ST MARY'S
3
3
0
WORCESTER
10
10
0
TOTALS
70
70
0
Baltimore
Calvert1
Worcester
Figure 1. Maryland coastal counties.
Somerset

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2010 Summary Results
How many notification actions were reported
and how long were they?
When water quality standards are exceeded at a
particular beach, Maryland issues a beach advisory
that warns people to avoid contact with the beach
water. A total of 16 monitored beaches had at least
one advisory issued during the 2010 swimming
season. Figure 2 presents a full breakdown of
notification action durations.
What percentage of days were beaches under a
notification action?
For Maryland's 2010 swimming season, there were
notifications reported about five percent of the time
(Figure 3).
How do 2010 results compare to previous years?
Table 2 compares 2010 notification action data with
monitored beach data from previous years.
What pollution sources possibly affect
investigated monitored beaches?
Figure 4 displays the percentage of Maryland's
investigated monitored beaches possibly affected
by various pollution sources. In 2010,100 percent
of the beaches had unknown sources. When there
is a known source of fecal indicator bacteria, such
as septic tank leakage, local health departments are
required to investigate and remediate these sources.
The MDE Beach Program encourages people to
pick up pet waste and to not feed birds or wildlife.
If there is a sewer link leak or break, the beach is
closed until water quality criteria are met.
For More Information
For general information about beaches:
www.epa.gov/beaches/
For information about beaches
in Maryland:
MarvlandHealthyBeaches .com
or http://www.mde.state.md.us/
programs/Water/Beaches/Pages/
BeachesHome.aspx
Figure 2: Beach notification actions by duration.
2	3-7	8-30
Duration of Actions (days)
Figure 3:
Table 2. Beach notification actions, 2008-2010.

2008
2009
2010
Number of monitored
beaches
71
70
70
Number of beaches
affected by notification
actions
10
9
16
Percentage of beaches
affected by notification
actions
14%
13%
23%
Percentage of beach
days affected by
notification actions
1%
2%
5%
Figure 4: Percent of investigated monitored beaches
affected by possible pollution sources (70 beaches).
0 10 20
30
Percent of beaches
40 50 60 70
80 90
Investigated I no sources found
Non-storm related runoff
Storm-related runoff
Agricultural runoff
Boat discharge
Cone, animal feeding operation
Combined sewer overflow
Sanitary sewer overflow
Publicly-owned treatment works
Sewer line leak or break
Septic system leakage
Wildlife
Other (identified) source(s)
Unidentified source(s)
100
100
Note: A single beach may
have multiple sources.
Beach days
with no action
6,509
(94.9%)
Beach days with
and without
notification
actions.
Beach days
with an action:
351
(5.1%)

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