PTMSC volunteers helping keep the beaches safe for the summer!
Have you ever been on a Puget Sound beach and noticed a ‘beach closed for swimming’ sign? As one of our citizen science projects, PTMSC is a partner in sampling local beaches to make sure they are safe for recreation.
We do this as part of WA State Dept. of Ecology’s EPA-funded Beach Environmental Assessment, Communication and Health (BEACH) program. PTMSC volunteers alternate sampling each week. The samples go with other samples collected by the Jefferson County Dept. of Environmental Public Health to be tested for fecal contamination, specifically enterococcus bacteria. Within 24 hours results come in, and signs get posted notifying beachgoers if the water is not safe.
Before you get into or onto the water, you can check out the BEACH closures and advisories map on the Dept. of Ecology’s website at https://ecology.wa.gov/…/Water…/Saltwater/BEACH-program