Beach Water Quality
In order to adequately protect beach goers in Brewster and maintain compliance with Massachusetts Bathing Beach Regulations 105 CMR 445.000, we partner with Brewster Natural Resources and Barnstable County Health Department to collect and analyze weekly beach water samples. The samples are delivered to the Barnstable County water quality laboratory and analyzed for the indicator organisms described above. It takes 24 hours to determine if the bacteria are present in a given sample. The maximum allowable number of Enterococci are 104 colony forming units per 100ml of marine water, or 235 colony forming units per 100ml of fresh water. If these standards are exceeded, a sampler is deployed immediately to collect a re-test. Based on recent amendments to the bathing beach regulations, the beach may remain open unless the results of the re-test indicate levels higher than the Massachusetts standards. Some beaches that have a history of consecutive closures over the last four bathing seasons must be closed after only one exceedance.
When a beach sample re-test exceeds the limit for bacteria in bathing water, our the County Laboratory notifies the health agent and within 24 hours the beach is closed to swimming. When the second re-test results show acceptable bacteria levels, the beach may be re-opened to swimming. Please remember that a beach posted closed to swimming does not mean you cannot still enjoy walking on the beach, collecting seashells, building sand castles and playing sports.
List of Public Beaches Sampled
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