Before You Go to the Beach... (continued)

Questions to Ask Your Local Beach Health Monitoring Official:

Which beaches do you monitor and how often? What do you test for? Where can I see the test results and who can explain them to me? What are the primary sources of pollution that affect this beach?

What to Do if Your Beach is Not Monitored Regularly:

Avoid swimming after a heavy rain.

Look for storm drains (pipes that drain polluted water from streets) along the beach. Don't swim near them.

Look for trash and other signs of pollution such as oil slicks in the water. These kinds of pollutants may indicated the presence of disease-causing organisms that may also have been washed into the water.

If you think your beach is contaminated, contact your local health or environmental protection officials. It is important for them to know about suspected beach water contamination so they can protect citizens from exposure.

Work with your local authorities to create a monitoring program.

For Additional Information about BEACH

For additional information about the BEACH Program, contact the U.S.EPA,Office of Water, Office of Science and Technology at:

401 M Street,S.W.,Washington,D.C.20460

E-Mail:OWGENERAL@epamail.epa.gov

or visit EPA's Beach Watch website at:

http://www.epa.gov/OST/beaches