National Resource Defense Council Reports on Water Quality on Local Beaches

Beach name	Rating details

100 yrds ENE of Little Bridge, Causeway, Nags Head
100 yrds. offshore of 7517 S. Va. Dare Trail, Nags Head
100ft North of Jennett’s Pier
Beach at Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Nags Head Bath House
AO- 5 miles SW of Ocracoke state ferry
Federal Campground- Ocracoke
Ocracoke- 1st public access SW of State Ferry

National Resources Defense Council is one of the nation’s most effective environmental action organization. They use law, science and the support of 1.2 million members and online activists to protect the planet’s wildlife and wild places and to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things.

NRDC used a five-star system to rate beaches across the country. NRDC evaluated 200 popular beaches, some with multiple segments that are monitored separately. In total, 344 beach water quality sampling points from these 200 beaches are rated.

Water Quality, 2008

Of the water samples taken during the 2008 monitoring season, fewer than 5 percent exceeded the national health standard for bacteria.
These beaches rarely, if ever, violated the water quality standard. An adequately monitored beach whose water is consistently meeting the national standard is a smart choice for beachgoers looking for a safe and healthy swim. Some states have standards that are even more stringent than the national guidelines, so making sure that those standards are also being met is a good idea.

Water Quality, last 3 years

Fewer than 5 percent of the water samples taken any year for the last 3 years (2006-2008) exceeded the national health standard for bacteria.
These beaches rarely, if ever, violated health standards for the last three years and deserve special recognition. Water quality can fluctuate from year to year depending on the amount of rainfall, for example, particularly at beaches most susceptible to stormwater contamination. The safest beaches are those that meet public health standards during both wet and dry years.

Water quality testing frequency

These beach locations were monitored more than once a week.
The federal BEACH Act recommends that Tier 1 (heavily used and/or likely to be polluted) beaches be monitored at least once a week. Because this is the minimum, beachgoers cannot be sure they are safe on the day that they want to swim. For example, if a beach is tested on Monday and is found to be safe, that does not indicate the water quality the following Saturday when visitors come to swim. Beaches that are monitored more frequently are more protective of beachgoers.

Always issues advisories promptly

Closings and/or advisories at this beach are always issued promptly after an exceedance without waiting for resampling results or other information.
Beachgoers need to be notified when their beach is in violation of the state health standard, and they should get this information as soon as initial results are in. In some states, beachwater managers resample or gather other information before issuing an advisory, while other beachwater managers do this only when they have reason to doubt the results. Waiting for an exceedance of state standards to be confirmed before notifying the public puts swimmers at unnecessary risk. This is especially true given the 24 hours or more that it currently takes for test results to come in, leaving a window of time in which swimmers can be exposed to harmful pathogens.

Posts closings/advisories online and at beaches

Beachgoers are notified if the water is unhealthy for swimming through both the internet and a sign on the beach.
If beachwaters are unhealthy for swimming, beachgoers should be able to locate that warning information from home. Posting this information on the Internet is an important way for beach managers to give advance notice to the the public about advisories and closures. Some states have multiple ways of informing the public about beach closures, such as through e-mail, phone lines, press releases and Twitter. Not everyone has access to the Internet or looks for beach water quality information on-line, so signs should also be posted at the beach notifying all beach patrons whether the water is safe for swimming.