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Beach Sanitary Surveys
A sanitary survey is a method of investigating the sources of fecal contamination to a water body. Sanitary surveys are typically used for drinking water, shellfish, and watershed protection programs. They can also be used at beaches that do not meet water quality standards. Sanitary surveys help state and local beach program managers and public health officials identify sources of beach water pollution, assess the magnitude of pollution, and identify priority locations for water testing.
Great Lakes Beach Sanitary Survey User Manual (PDF) (491 K, 81 pp.; EPA-823-B-06-001; May 2008)
Beach sanitary surveys involve collecting information at the beach, as well as in the surrounding watershed. Information collected at the beach may include: number of birds at the beach, slope of the beach, location and condition of bathrooms, and amount of algae on the beach. Information collected in the watershed may include: land use, location of storm water outfalls, surface water quality, and residential septic tank information. Beach managers can use the sanitary survey results to prioritize state or county resource allocations to help improve bathing beach water quality. In addition, they can use sanitary survey data (e.g., bacteria levels, source flow, turbidity, rainfall) to develop models to predict bathing beach water quality using readily available data.
- Great Lakes Beach Sanitary Survey User Manual (including forms and appendices) (PDF) (491 K, 81 pp.; EPA-823-B-06-001; May 2008)
- Beach Sanitary Survey Forms
- Routine On-site Sanitary Survey (PDF) (28 K, 2 pp.)
- Routine On-site Sanitary Survey Methods (PDF) (23 K, 2 pp.)
- Annual Sanitary Survey (PDF) (62 K, 9 pp.)
If you need help accessing these forms, please contact Beth Leamond (leamond.beth@epa.gov) at 202-566-0444 for assistance.
For more information about the Great Lakes Sanitary Survey:
- Great Lakes Beach Sanitary Survey
- Frequent Questions
- Other Sanitary Survey Information
Great Lakes Beach Sanitary Survey
You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.
The Great Lakes Beach Sanitary Survey has been developed and piloted in the Great Lakes, however the concept is applicable in any beach environment (marine water, inland water).
- Fact sheet about the Great Lakes Beach Sanitary Survey (May 2008) | Press Release (May 30, 2008)
- Great Lakes Pilot Project Summary Report (PDF) (540 K, 10 pp.) | Appendices to the Summary Report (PDF) (207 K, 41 pp.)
- Map of Great Lakes beaches with a sanitary survey pilot (PDF) (1 pp., 6.2 MB)
Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy
A May 2004 Executive Order created the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force and encouraged creation of a Regional Collaboration of National Significance to address environmental problems. In December 2005, the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration (GLRC) published the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy to protect and restore the Great Lakes.
Of the Strategy's eight priority elements, the Coastal Health Chapter specifically addresses beach water quality. To that end, EPA is working with the states to develop beach sanitary surveys to identify sources of contamination at Great Lakes beaches.
Who developed the Great Lakes Beach sanitary survey tool?
The Agency initiated a three-year, three-step effort to design and implement beach sanitary surveys in Great Lakes recreational waters. The effort involved:
- Developing the final sanitary survey form, and beta-testing the sanitary surveys at a Great Lakes beach;
- Developing grant criteria and awarding grants to states to pilot-implement sanitary surveys into their beach programs; and
- Evaluating pilot studies, publishing a final beach sanitary survey, and providing technical assistance for implementing beach sanitary surveys.
What did the pilot project involve?
The pilot project involved a one time grant amount of $525,000 total to all states that applied. The Beach Sanitary Survey Tool was tested at 61 beaches in the Great Lakes, in 6 states, and included one Canadian province.
Frequent Questions
What are common sources of beach contamination?
Beaches can be contaminated by sewage from combined sewer overflows, sanitary sewer overflows, and malfunctioning sewage treatment plants and septic tanks. Beaches can also be impacted by untreated storm water runoff from cities and rural areas, which sometimes contains wildlife feces and pet waste. However, despite monitoring efforts, about half of all beach advisories are caused by unknown sources of contamination.
How does a beach sanitary survey benefit the public health?
A beach sanitary survey is a step toward solving the pollution problems through identifying unknown sources of beach contamination. By investigating the beach area and contributing watershed areas, potential pollution impacting a beach can be identified and documented for decision making.
What is the Beach Sanitary Survey Tool?
EPA developed the Beach Sanitary Survey Tool to help beach managers in the Great Lakes evaluate all contributing beach and watershed information including water quality data, pollution source data, and land use data. The tool consists of three types of beach sanitary surveys in paper and electronic form (so that the data can be entered and stored in a database). Beach managers will enter electronic data using Microsoft Access data entry forms developed by EPA and stored locally.
