This agreement funds the recipient's beach monitoring and notification program for the upcoming swimming season, including meeting criteria established by the beaches environmental assessment and…

Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 awarded the State of Washington Department of Ecology $270,693 on December 1, 2025, under the Beach Monitoring and Notification Program Implementation Grants (CFDA 66.472) to fund the recipient's beach monitoring and public notification program for the 2026 swimming season.

The award funds water quality monitoring at a minimum of fifty recreational beaches in Washington for enterococcus on a weekly or biweekly basis between Memorial Day and Labor Day, public notification when water quality exceeds fecal indicator bacteria thresholds or pathogen indicators, issuance of advisories or beach closures when warranted, submission of water quality data to EPA, and public review and comment opportunities on the program. The recipient will deliver water quality monitoring data submissions, public notification actions, and an annual summary report. The program objective is to reduce swimmer illness by providing residents and tourists with bacteriological information to inform beach-visit decisions.

The Department of Ecology administers the program through a minimum of nine subawards to local health jurisdictions consolidated under the Washington Department of Health. The award period runs through November 30, 2026, with performance taking place throughout Washington. The funding supports compliance with the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act criteria required to maintain eligibility under the grant program.

This agreement funds the recipient's beach monitoring and notification program for the upcoming swimming season, including meeting criteria established by the beaches environmental assessment and coastal health act (beach) to remain eligible for the beach grant. IT funds the recipient's efforts to monitor water quality at designated recreational beaches in washington and to notify the public when the waters exceed the beach notification threshold value for fecal indicator bacteria or any other pathogen indicators used by the program. Activities:the activities to be performed include monitoring water quality for pathogens at recreational bathing beaches, notifying the public of the sample results and risks, issuing advisories or beach closures when water quality levels are exceeded, submitting information to environmental protection agency (EPA), and providing the public opportunities to review and comment on the program, especially whenever significant changes are made to the program. The recipient's program will be consistent with national beach guidance published at the time of grant award. Subrecipient:a minimum of nine subawards (consolidated contracts administered by the washington department of health) will be used for local health jurisdictions to implement the beach program. A minimum of fifty beaches will be monitored for enterococcus once per week or every other week between memorial day and labor day.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include submissions of water quality monitoring data, public notification actions, and an annual summary report. The objective of the program is to reduce swimmer illness by providing the public with bacteriological information so they can make informed decisions about which beaches to visit. Beneficiaries of the program include all residents and tourists that visit the beaches in washington.