Clean Beaches and Streams
Summer 2008
Water Quality Monitoring Program

The Clean Beaches and Streams Program trains volunteers to help monitor water quality by collecting samples from prioritized shoreline sites (stormwater outfalls, coastal streams, etc.). All samples are tested for Enteroccoccus. US EPA has determined that the Enterococcus group is a better indicator of potential public health risk of waterborne disease than fecal coliform bacteria in marine waters.

The 2007 Clean Beaches & Stream program was made possible by a Volunteer Monitoring Grant from Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA). All water samples were taken following a MA DEP approved Quality Assurance Project Plan and were analyzed by BioMarine Inc. SSCW greatly appreciates this support for this very valuable program.

Testing is conducted every two weeks at designated sites. The results are then shared with the watershed's municipalities as well as the public. Click the links below to view a report for a particular date:

For current information regarding local beach closures and beach water quality (from testing performed weekly by each municipality), visit the Mass. Dept. of Public Health Website. You can then access the Salem Sound communities by clicking on the map.

Results from the Clean Beaches and Streams Program for Summer 2003, Summer 2004, Summer 2005, Summer 2006, and Summer 2007 are available.

To be part of the solution, read Making the Stormwater Connection.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for this program, please contact:

Barbara Warren
978-741-7900