HYANNIS – Water quality monitoring on beaches throughout Massachusetts will be supported by a $225,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act grants are used for checking levels of fecal indicator bacteria at beaches and to notify the public when levels are deemed unsafe.
The money will support monitoring work as well as public notification efforts for the 2023 beach season and for the remainder of this year’s beach season.
The announcement was made on August 31 at Kalmus Beach in Hyannis. Congressman Bill Keating also spoke at the event.
“This funding ensures that the Commonwealth and our communities can continue monitoring water quality and mitigating issues before they pose a risk to human health,” said Keating, who represents Cape Cod, the Islands and the South Shore and South Coast.
Barnstable Town Manager Mark Ells said the joint effort involved monitoring water quality in the region.
“This collaboration between the federal, state, county, and local municipalities is just one of many efforts we are undertaking to provide clean water for our local residents and seasonal visitors,” Ells said.
Barnstable County’s Beach Monitoring Results for 2022 can be found on the county’s site.
The EPA anticipates awarding a little over $1 million in funds to support the fives coastal states of New England this year.
By Brian Engles, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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