Re-authorizing the BEACH Act

The BEACH Act of 2000 is the federal law that sets national standards for recreational water testing and authorizes state grants to pay for beach monitoring programs. This landmark law was first championed by Surfrider Foundation a decade ago. In the past three years, multiple attempts to reauthorize the BEACH Act have been made in Congress. The House of Representatives has already approved reauthorization legislation twice now, but proponents of these bills have not been successful in securing a place on the agenda for the full Senate.

The latest bill, the Clean Coastal Environment & Public Health Act of 2009, will increase the amount of federal dollars that can be spent on beach water quality monitoring and will modernize the technology we rely on to protect the health of the beach-going public. It also expands the scope of the BEACH Act to include tracking and cleaning up the sources of beach water pollution.

The original BEACH Act of 2000 is responsible for vast improvements in beach monitoring programs across the country. All coastal states are now operate beach monitoring programs. The BEACH Act set national water quality monitoring and reporting standards and authorizes yearly grants to states for beach monitoring.

Unfortunately, perennial under-funding has prevented full state implementation of the BEACH Act and has left public health at risk in many instances. Although the BEACH Act authorizes $30 million to be awarded to coastal states annually to support their beach monitoring programs, the actual appropriation is usually just under $10 million each year. Because of inadequate funding, many state programs are under-staffed and do not have the resources to meet all of their testing requirements.

Continued reliance on out-dated science also hinders proper implementation of beach monitoring programs. Currently, approved water testing methodologies require a 24 hr lag time before results are available. New water testing methods are available now that can provide water quality information within two hours of sampling, but the EPA has yet to approve any new methods for beach monitoring programs. States are also unable to use their BEACH grants to track and clean-up any sources of beach pollution, so that we could truly see improvements at our beaches.

The Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act, HR 2093, was submitted to the House of Representatives by Members Pallone (NJ), Bishop (NY), and Bilbray (CA). Senator Lautenberg (NJ) submitted the companion bill, S 878, to the Senate.

As originally submitted, the Clean Coastal Environment & Public Health Act:

· Reauthorizes the BEACH Act of 2000 for 5 years;

· Doubles the amount of funding available to states, to $60 million, so that a greater number of beaches can be monitored and more frequent monitoring can be conducted;

· Allows funds to be used for pollution source detection and cleanup to prevent future incidences of closings and advisories;

· Requires EPA to approve and states to use rapid test methods for monitoring beach water pollution;

· Speeds up requirements to notify beachgoers immediately after contamination is found;

· Requires public health authorities to notify environmental agencies when contamination is found at the beach; and

· Requires compliance reviews to ensure that state and local programs receiving federal funds are meeting the minimum requirements of the BEACH Act.

HR 2093 was marked up by the House and now it only raises the funding level to $40 million. Language for pollution clean-up has been removed, and a study on the impacts of nutrient pollution has been added to the bill. S 878 has passed out of Senate Committee and is waiting to get on the agenda for consideration by the full Senate.

If you want to help support clean beaches and immediate access to critical water quality information send your Senators an email asking them to support the swift passage of the Clean Coastal Environment & Public Health Act. Just click here.

The full text of both the House and Senate versions of this bill can be found online.

For further reading, an evaluation of the BEACH Act of 2000 by the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) can be viewed here.

BWTF in Rhode Island

Rhode Island Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation Springs Forward with Water Testing for 2010

March 17, 4:54 PMProvidence Surfing ExaminerPhilip Chiaradio

Know your water and the state of our seas

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The Surfrider Foundation's deep-seated Blue Water Task Force, driven by it's volunteers, has initiated 2010's water quality monitoring program. In conjunction with Surfrider Foundation's global dedication in protecting our world's oceans, beaches and waves, the BWTF provides the crucial data necessary to assess water quality and pollution issues on a local level. Gathering coastal water samples in a near shore environment on a regular basis, not only provides the data history needed to alert surfers, beach goers and officials in local communities of any health threatening hazards, but also gives the Surfrider Foundation the clout in working towards solutions.

This year's research began on the 23rd of January, followed by another testing on March 6th and continuing throughout the year with May 15th being the next scheduled testing. A total of 14 surf zones are tested each time water sampling is conducted. In our Ocean State, two bacteria groups are monitored, fecal coliforms and enterococci. The results from all Surfrider sites, stretching from Middletown's Third Beach, to the Harbor in Watch Hill, are compared to the Rhode Island Dept of Health's state standard for safe recreational contact. Any surf spot with a result that exceeds state standards, is deemed unsafe. Surfers, swimmers and beach goers should refrain from surfing/swimming in these areas until conditions return to acceptable levels. Click Beach Closures and Advisories for recent updates.

Total coliforms are bacteria found throughout nature. They can occur in human feces, but can also be found in animal manure, soil, decaying wood and other areas on the human body.

Fecal coliforms are a subset of total coliforms bacteria that are fecal specific. However, the bacteria can also contain a genus not necessarily fecal in origin. This genus, Klebsiella, is commonly associated in discharge from textile and pulp mills. This is the reason why fecal coliforms is used as an indicator for drinking water standards.

Enterococci are bacteria that are commonly associated with sewage contamination and are more human specific. They indicate the possible presence of pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria and viruses that can cause a wide range of health hazards such as gastroenteritis, dysentery, hepatitis and other ear, nose, throat and respiratory problems. Enterococci also have an ability to survive in salt water, which is why the Environmental Protection Agency has enterococci as the best indicator for beach/ocean recreation.

Since 2004, the RIDOH created enterococci standards for swimming in Rhode Island's beaches. The Rhode Island Dept of Environmental Management continues to monitor fecal coliforms in marine waters as required by the National Shelfish Sanitation Program.

When speaking with Lauren Russo, coordinator of the BWTF, she stated, "The results from both January and March's testing were in compliance with state standards for safe water recreation." However, areas that are prone to contamination, historically, areas close to rain induced stormwater run-off and combined sewer overflows, effluent from wastewater treatment plants, or stormwater pipes (such as Burnside Pipe, Ocean Road Pipe and Black Point Pipe) have exceeded standards and are under the watchful eye of the Blue Water Task Force. These surf zones are area's such as Newport's First beach, Monahan's Dock in Narragansett, Scarborough State Beach and the Watch Hill Harbor.

Unfortunately, many older cities, especially in New England, Providence included, use a single sewer system called a combined sewer system. During dry periods, wastewater is treated and released as clean effluent. During rain events, however, the combined sewer system becomes overloaded and, as a result, untreated combined sewage is discharged, eventually making its way to the Narragansett Bay. This has been happening since the turn of the century.

A similar scenario happened in Fall River, Ma. in February of 2010 when the Central Street pumping station failed to transfer raw sewage to the treatment plant and instead pumped 2.5 million gallons into the Mount Hope Bay within the Battleship Cove area.

To put the accidental spill in perspective, one Olympic size pool is equivalent to 630,000 gallons. Now add three more pools next to it, all four of them full of raw sewage. Over a period of eleven hours, this was how much was released into the Bay.

The EPA estimates that combined sewer systems overflow 43,000 times per year, discharging 850 billion gallons of untreated waste into our waters.

Green infrastructure is the single most important avenue available for support in congress to rectify sewer system problems. Please see article Ocean legislature for 2010 and click here to send a letter to Congress in support of Green Infrastructure.

New water quality standards in Europe may close more beaches

A new European Directive will change the water quality standards that are used to close beaches in 2015. If the new standards are applied to the water quality data collected at Basque Coast beaches by Surfrider in 2009, some of the beaches that were acceptable last season will be closed in the future if the source of pollution is not found and addressed before then.

The objectives of Surfrider Europe's Bathing Waters Initiative and their four water testing laboratories are 1) to provide year-round water quality information to recreational users; 2)to collect information to improve the state of knowledge on the quality and health of coastal waters; 3) communicate their data to local communities and stakeholders; and 4) highlight water pollution issues and bring together stakeholders to find solutions.

More information on the new European Directive and Surfrider Europe's water testing program below.

Several beaches could be closed for swimming in 2015

Surfrider Foundation Europe - 03/05/2010 |

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Findings regarding the quality of water in the Basque Country that were obtained by Surfrider volunteers in 2009 show results that are still inconsistent with the new European Directive standards.

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Photo: Mare Urdina / Surfrider Foundation Europe

The water quality results obtained in 2009 bySurfrider Foundation Europe show potentially chronic contamination for certain Basque coast beaches, or results that are in breach of the terms of the new European Directive, despite previous and ongoing efforts regarding pollution sources (drainage works).

Water quality is currently regulated by a European Directive, called ‘the Bathing Water Directive’ of 1976. The directive requires member states to survey the quality of water: in swimming zones, from a bacteriological point of view and during the summer period.

The 'old' Directive is going to be replaced by a new Directive (2006/7/CE) that was adopted in 2006 and will be applicable in 2015, and that will include the following key principles: simplication of surveillance criteria, better public information and a toughening of thresholds for acceptable bacteria levels.

The new Directive lowers the threshold for unacceptable water quality

Under the old Directive of 1976, the group of test sites, on average, saw an excellent quality of water in 2009. However, when we apply the new criteria that is 4 times as severe as the old directive of 2006, certain sites obtain inadequate results and therefore could be closed for swimming in 2015.

To highlight the impact of the new directive regarding 'classing' of beaches and for identifying the origin of pollutions, working discussions are underway involving the relevant institutions and communities.

This dialogue will also hopefully show the importance of following water quality all year long. Indeed, despite the improvements under the new Directive, the surveillance period is still limited to the summer period and won’t take into account zones for nautical activities.

However, we see especially on the Basque coast, that water sports are practised regularly all year long. These sportspeople are therefore as exposed as swimmers, if not more so, to infection or contamination. Equally, in winter as in summer.

A network of complementary water quality testing

Alongside the regulations currently in place, Surfrider Foundation Europe have implemented surveillance networks on coastal water quality all year round for sites of nautical activity, in order to provide the public, water sportspeople, institutions and councils/towns with better information.

This surveillance network addresses 4 main objectives :

- to follow the bacteria levels and water quality of coastal areas all year long, as the regulations require testing only during the summer period.

- to gather as much information/data as possible, including comments and observations with the goal of improving understanding of the sites.

- to inform members, water sportspeople, the public at large and the group of involved local actors regarding water quality of the different zones followed.

- to emphasise contamination problems and encourage discussion between local actors/representatives.

The objective is also to forecast the consequences of the new European norms that will be applicable in 2015.

Water quality in the bay of Biscay

On the Biscay coast, water quality was followed in 10 zones in co-operation with volunteers, surfclubs and the Basque Surf Federation within the framework of Mare Urdina's 'cross border project'.

All of these zones are swimming and nautical activity areas: including diving, surfing, or canoeing that is practiced on a regular basis on the Basque coast all year long. The sites followed are between the beaches of Muskiz and Sukarrieta : The Arena, Ereaga, Arrigunaga, Barinatxe, Arriatera, Atxabiribil, Plentzia, Bakio, Mundaka and Toña.

In 2009, 8 volunteers actively participated in the sampling. These 'Watermen testers' are for the most part surfers of the clubs along the coast (Peña Txuri, Mundaka Surf Taldea, El Pasillo, …) who are concerned about water quality at their spot and their local environment. In total, in the 2009 season, there were 342 samples analysed for the 10 zones followed.

When unfavourable results are obtained, Surfrider communicates this information to the towns concerned as well as to the waste water treatment providers, with the view of initiating a formal enquiry. This work is carried out in collaboration with AZTI, those responsible for the environment in the communities, water agencies in the Basque Country, the Basque government (health department), and the Biscay deputy general. The objective being, to commence a working dialogue for the reduction of contamination problems.

Beyond the Bay of Biscay, Gipúzkoa and Iparralde

The sample points are re-evaluated each year by the Surfrider team (volunteers, 'Watermen testers', employees) in order to better respond to the public’s questions. 2010 should see an extension of the network on the coast of Gipuzkoa and the French Basque coast. As such, 7 testing zones will be added to the existing network, bringing the number of sites to 17. The numerous volunteers will provide their support and bring to life this complementary network of water quality testing.

Within the Framework of Mare Urdina's work on water quality, Surfrider Foundation, in collaboration with the Pyrenees Atlantique General Council, have organised the 'Bathing water quality' cross border conference on the 23 and 24 June 2010 at Hendeye. The conference will be a European meeting that allows specialists (state services, institutions, collectives, private managers/bodies…) to exchange their experiences regarding the management of bathing water quality in the context of the future application of the new Directive (2006/7/CEE).

Read more about Surfrider Europe's Bathing Waters program and water testing laboratories here.