CEHL performs weekly swim beach water quality monitoring from Memorial Day to Labor Day as part of Maine Healthy Beaches, a statewide effort by the Maine Cooperative Extension / Sea Grant and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. By testing swim beaches for Enterococcus, CEHL can help protect public health at beaches by providing prompt public notification of water contamination.
All test results are available online.
What is Enterococcus?
Enterococcus is the established bacterial indicator for recreational coastal waters in Maine. It indicates fecal contamination and the possible presence of disease-causing organisms. The most frequent sources of disease-causing microorganisms are from polluted storm drain runoff, malfunctioning septic tanks and sewage treatment plants, boating waste, and poor sanitary practices at the beach.