HYANNIS – The United States Environmental Protection Agency will be awarding $245,600 to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for water quality monitoring and public notification programs.
Four other New England States, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, and New Hampshire will also be receiving BEACH Act grants.
The total amount being given to the five states to the program is over $1 million.
The funding aims to help states test beaches for bacteria and warn residents about which beaches are safe to swim at and which are not.
News of the funding comes shortly after the discovery of several deposits of cyanobacteria in Cape ponds and freshwater sources.
When high levels of bacteria are detected, it is the job of state and local officials to protect public health through notification and closure of the beaches.
Both pets and people should be kept clear of water sources where bacteria levels are high enough to cause health problems.
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