Beaches

To protect public health and ensure safe swimming conditions, water quality at public and semi-public beaches is tested weekly during the swimming season in compliance with the Massachusetts Beaches Bill. Water samples are collected from multiple locations and analyzed at the Barnstable County Department of Health & Environment Lab for indicator bacteria—Enterococci in marine waters and E. coli in freshwater. Overall, the beaches meet the required water quality standards for recreational use, with occasional "No Swimming" advisories issued when bacteria levels exceed safe limits. 

• Interactive Beach Water Quality Dashboard
  • Interactive Beaches Dashboard provides water quality testing results for the current beach season. It will tell you which beaches are open or closed. If a beach is closed, do not swim or enter the water at that location to avoid risk of illness.
• Barnstable County Water Quality Reports
  • In season, samples are sent to Barnstable County weekly for beach water quality testing, where they are analyzed for indicator bacteria to protect public health, following EPA, Mass DEP, and APHA standard methods.
• Recreation & Beaches Division
  • Town of Chatham website covering beach rules, regulations, and safety.