During the 2017 beach season, 62 public beaches on marine waters were sampled for bacterial contamination from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Find out if your local beach was clean during the last swimming season. This information helps health officials make swimming advisories. See our county-by-county reports.
For 2017, fewer than two swimming advisories or closures were issued at 91 percent of marine beaches.
Keeping beaches safe
The Beach Environmental Assessment, Communication & Health (BEACH) Program ensures that marine water is safe to swim and play in and informs the public if water doesn't meet swimming standards.
During the 2017 beach season, 62 public beaches were sampled from Memorial Day through Labor Day. High-use beaches were sampled weekly or bi-weekly for enterococcus, a type of fecal bacteria. High enterococcus levels are linked to swimmer illness.
Since 2004, we have been working with local partners (counties, tribes, and volunteer groups) to monitor marine beaches in Puget Sound and on the Washington coast. The Makah Tribe has a beach sampling program. During 2017, they sampled five public beaches weekly throughout the year on the Makah reservation in Clallam County.
Water quality — beach by beach
Click on the county links below for more details on water quality at local swimming beaches: