eMDE – Get the Maryland Healthy Beaches app
THE LATEST FROM THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
FEATURED ARTICLE
MARYLAND BEACH CONDITIONS – KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
With Memorial Day and a summer of fun just around the corner, the Maryland Department of the Environment reminds everyone to take steps to stay healthy at the beach. This includes things we all can do to keep the water clean. It also includes staying informed about conditions at Maryland beaches.
Any time, any place, up-to-date beach information is just a few taps away with the Maryland Healthy Beaches smartphone app. The app – available for free – provides information from Memorial Day to Labor Day on water conditions and any health-based advisories at your favorite Maryland beaches. The app is available for iPhone at the App Store. The app for Android is being revised and is expected to be available again soon at Google Play.
The status of Maryland’s swimming beaches is also posted on the Maryland Healthy Beaches website on the Current Conditions page. The site includes an interactive map with color coding to show any advisories for a particular beach.
The web site also includes daily updates on rainfall for beaches. You should avoid swimming in natural waters within 48 hours of a heavy rain event because potentially harmful bacteria concentrations might rise due to polluted stormwater runoff.
You can sign up for email alerts and a text messaging system to let you know if your favorite beach has a notification. The website also provides tips on staying healthy at the beach. The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Department of Natural Resources and MDE also provide tips for National Healthy and Safe Swimming Week, which runs through May 24.
MDE works with local health departments to make sure water quality is monitored. When water quality samples collected from a beach area do not meet state and federal water quality criteria, an advisory is posted. MDE sets water quality standards and assures conformity in the program statewide. Prior to the start of beach season on Memorial Day, local health departments collect water samples from beaches and . . .
IN THE NEWS
WJZ-TV: Maryland beaches rated among best in nation
When it comes to beaches, Maryland scores very high for clean water. An annual survey finds the water isn’t just fine for swimming, it’s safe. Read more
WRC-TV: Taking a Dip in Maryland and Delaware: What’s in the Water at the Beach?
The data shows Maryland and Delaware have some of the cleanest beaches in the nation, with Delaware averaging about one advisory a year, typically at Rehoboth. Read more
AIR, LAND, WATER – DID YOU KNOW?
- MDE Earth Week 2015
Greenfest, Ecofest, solar panels and posters, trash cleanups and an interfaith celebration — MDE and Earth Week 2015. We thank all the volunteers that participated. All of us can help to carry this spirit forward throughout the year!
Take the Compost Challenge
Did you know that food scraps and yard waste make up nearly a third of the municipal waste stream? Food waste reduction and composting offer a viable solution (and a nutrient-rich soil supplement), and a growing number of Maryland Green Registry and Maryland Green Travel members have been leading the way. Your business or organization is invited to join the Registry — and take the Compost Challenge.
Join the MDE team
MDE is hiring an Environmental Compliance Specialist. Learn more about the position at the Maryland State Online Employment Center.
THE STAT
About this STAT
MDE works with local health departments to make sure water quality is monitored at beaches. When water quality samples do not meet water quality criteria, an advisory is posted. In Maryland the designated beach season is from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
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MDE’s MISSION
Our mission is to protect and restore the quality of Maryland’s air, water, and land resources, while fostering smart growth, a thriving and sustainable economy and healthy communities.