Region 1: EPA New England
Taking Care of Coastal Water Quality Through the Year
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
By Robert
W. Varney
October 17, 2007
As we ease into the cooler weather of Autumn, next year's beach season seems a whole winter away while this past summer is a blissful memory. Even as we reminisce about those recent carefree beach days, neither New Hampshire residents nor EPA have forgotten the importance of clean beaches, and the need to keep our focus throughout the year on improving coastal water quality.
This week we celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. All New Englanders can take a lot of pride in our accomplishments and ongoing work to protect our precious rivers, lakes, coasts and groundwater. Indeed, this week we also mark World Water Monitoring Day, when volunteers collect data on the health of waters in their communities.
Just a few weeks ago, New Hampshire citizens helped protect their coastline during an "International Coastal Cleanup" week by hosting a statewide celebration that included - yes, coastal cleanups. Sponsored by The Ocean Conservancy and coordinated by the Blue Ocean Society, Granite Staters hosted 35 different cleanup events at 30 locations along 22 miles of the New Hampshire coast. More than 1,000 volunteers gathered debris and trash from the coastline and have picked up over 5,000 pounds of trash!
Coastal Cleanups such as this also took place in the five other New England coastal states as a celebration of National Coastweek, and each one made a distinct impact on coastal waters. Beach trash and debris can be as problematic as it is ugly. In the water, this waste can harm boats, threaten marine mammals, and compromise water quality.
Here at EPA we've been working hard to protect water quality for New England beachgoers as well by working with local and state governments to expand beach monitoring and reduce beach closures due to bacteria. Our goal is to eliminate chronic beach closures across New England, and we are actively working to develop and implement aggressive efforts to remove sources of contamination, and to build public support to fund necessary improvements to sewer systems.
Since 2001, EPA has awarded over $1 million to the N.H. Dept. of Environmental Services to monitor water quality at beaches, notify the public about risks and to assess the sources of contamination that may cause these risks. The EPA funding has allowed the state to increase the number of coastal beaches that are regularly monitored from nine to 16, and to improve the reporting of beach monitoring results, closures, and advisories.
Sewers, septic systems, and stormwater are not the only source of bacteria for many beach communities. In large boating communities wastewater discharges from boats can contribute to bacteria contamination accumulating in swimming waters. To eliminate this source of pollution, EPA is working to designate nearly the entire New England coastline a "No Discharge Area" by 2010. In a No Discharge Area boaters are prohibited from discharging toilet waste into coastal waters up to three miles from shore.
No Discharge Areas give bays and harbors additional protection from pollution and protect, maintain, and improve water quality. No Discharge Areas work by providing adequate pump-out stations at convenient locations throughout the designated area to serve all boaters. Designating a harbor or a bay reduces sewage from boats, meaning fewer pathogens, solids and nutrients enter the water.
New Hampshire is one of only three states nationwide to designate 100 percent of its coastal waters "no discharge." It says a lot about how New England cares for its environment that the other two states to protect their coastal waters in this way are our neighbors in Connecticut and Rhode Island. EPA is very proud of the efforts New England states have made to protect our region's coastal waters, but recognizes that there is more work to be done. We are currently working with both Maine and Massachusetts to fill in the gaps and complete the entire New England coastline.
We New Englanders are lucky to live near some of the most beautiful coastal areas found anywhere. We are also fortunate that we live in a region where so many people care about having a clean and healthy environment. If you are wondering how you can help keep New Hampshire's coastline clean and trash free, here are a few simple suggestions:
- Make sure septic systems are properly maintained;
- Report illicit discharges or sewer connections to health or environmental officials;
- Don't throw your pet's waste into storm drains;
- If you are a boater, use a pump-out facility;
- When you're at the beach, always pick up your trash.
Working together, we can keep New Hampshire's coastline healthy and safe and enjoy carefree days at the beach and on the water.
More information:
Robert W. Varney is regional administrator of EPA's New England Office in Boston.