Testing the waters: a guide to water quality at vacation beaches
Natural Resources Defense Council. 2003. Testing the waters: a guide to water quality at vacation beaches. Natural Resources Defense Council
The Guam Environmental Protection Agency provided information on its beachwater monitoring practices and on the number and causes of beach closings and advisories for the third consecutive year since 1998. 10 Guam Code Annotated (GCA) Chapter 47-Water Pollution Control mandates the monitoring of Guam’s recreational beaches. Seventy-three sandy beaches are scattered intermittently around the island and comprise 35.9 miles of shoreline or 31 percent of the total. The beaches are prioritized into a final list of 39 beaches monitored under the Recreational Beach Monitoring Plan (RBMP) based on: 1) proximity to potential pollution sources, 2) intensity of use of the site by the public 3) ease of accessibility by public, 4) public input, and 5) best professional judgment of staff of the Guam EPA. Guam EPA uses the EPA’s recommended enterococcus standards to determine whether a beach should be closed or an advisory issued.
- Type
- Generic Document
- Authors
- Natural Resources Defense Council
- Date of Issue
- 2003-08
- Publisher
- Natural Resources Defense Council
- Units
- WAPA
- Keywords
- E. coli, enterococcus, Guam, recreational beaches, water monitoring, Water Quality