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The official beach season in Maryland is from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Every year the beauty of our coastline and beach areas attracts many Marylanders and out-of-state visitors. With the start of the beach season, it is important to remind all beachgoers that swimming in natural waters is never risk-free. To minimize the risks, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) administers a statewide beach monitoring and notification program. As part of this program, MDE advises the general public to:
- Contact the
local health department or the
MDE Beaches Program about the status of a specific beach
- Follow the recommendations of your local health department regarding swimming at a specific beach
- Avoid swimming after heavy rainfall
- Avoid swimming near storm drains
- Always take a shower or bathe after swimming
- Try not to swallow water
- Avoid swimming if you have an open wound or infection
Beach Water Quality
Beach water quality is important for the safety and health of swimmers. The quality of waters can deteriorate due to runoff from human and natural sources. These include waste originating from pets, wildlife and farms, as well as trash, debris, and sewage runoff that can enter our waterways after storm events. Disease-causing microorganisms or pathogens pose a potential health threat to swimmers. These microorganisms are invisible to the naked eye and can be found in the form of bacteria, viruses, protozoa, or worms. Exposure to pathogenic organisms may cause illness such as gastroenteritis, with symptoms that include fever, diarrhea, and skin rashes.
Beach water quality is routinely monitored for indicator bacteria. While indicator bacteria are not the cause of illness in swimmers, they are monitored because they come from the same sources as potential pathogens and they are a good measure of recent bacterial contamination.
Overview of the Beaches Program
MDE is responsible for developing water quality criteria to protect human health and the environment. MDE has adopted indicator bacteria standards for beaches. The Maryland Beaches Program works with your local health department to enhance beach water quality monitoring and improve the public notification process. In October 2000, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) passed the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act and provided funding to enhance water quality monitoring at bathing beaches located in coastal states. The state program is administered by MDE, while the local health departments perform monitoring (sampling) and notify citizens about beach water quality conditions.
Guidance
Since 2001 MDE has worked with local health departments and developed the Guidance for County Recreational Water Quality Monitoring and Notification Programs. The purpose of this document is to advise local health departments in:
- Developing recreational water quality monitoring and public notification procedures
- Assisting them in complying with Maryland’s bathing beaches regulations
- Ensuring that these programs are consistent statewide
Since stormwater runoff may contribute to bacteriological contamination of recreational waters, MDE is supporting a project that could establish a relationship between storm events and elevated levels of indicator bacteria at bathing beaches. The goal of this work is to develop a decision-making tool to help beach managers establish risk-based advisories at local beaches based on rainfall events or other important variables.
Other beach-related projects involve the use of automated web-based applications for water quality monitoring and notification data, and the integration of geographical information system tools to assist in daily decision-making by beach managers.
Everyone Can Help
Marylanders as well as visitors can help to maintain good water quality at our bathing beaches. MDE encourages all Marylanders to:
- Become involved and volunteer in local beach clean-up efforts
- Keep picnic areas near the beach free of debris and garbage
- Avoid feeding ducks, geese, or seagulls near waterways
- Keep septic systems properly maintained
- Use marine pumpouts to dispose of boat sewage or use onshore sanitary facilities
- Pick up pet waste
For additional information about the
Maryland Beaches Program, contact MDE by calling 1-800-633-6101, x3906 or (410) 537-3858. Beach users and the public can obtain information regarding Maryland beaches by contacting their local health department.
Additional information about water quality monitoring, public notification, and swimming-related illnesses are available at the following websites:
EPA Beaches
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
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