Why isn current beachwater testing sufficient?
Even beachwater that is regularly monitored for pollution is not necessarily safe on any given day. The tests take 24 hours to produce results, and many beaches wait to re-test rather than close or issue an advisory. The tests also are not designed to protect the public against the full range of waterborne illnesses or to protect sensitive populations. The current EPA standards are based on the assumption that 19 out of 1,000 people swimming in ocean water that meetsthis standard will become ill, and that eight out of 1,000 people who swim in the Great Lakes will become ill.
Even beachwater that is regularly monitored for pollution is not necessarily safe on any given day. The tests take 24 hours to produce results, and many beaches wait to re-test rather than close or issue an advisory. The tests also are not designed to protect the public against the full range of waterborne illnesses or to protect sensitive populations. The current EPA standards are based on the assumption that 19 out of 1,000 people swimming in ocean water that meets this standard will become ill, and that eight out of 1,000 people who swim in the Great Lakes will become ill.
