Beach Grants

The EPA’s BEACH Act grant program provides funding to states, territories, and Tribes with ocean and Great Lakes coastal waters to develop and implement beach water quality monitoring and public notification programs. This program aims to protect public health by reducing exposure to harmful pathogens during recreational water activities. The BEACH Act was enacted under Section 406 of the Clean Water Act and is supported by EPA guidance, most recently revised in the 2014 edition of the *National Beach Guidance and Required Performance Criteria for Grants*. The primary objectives of the BEACH Act grants are to ensure timely and accurate monitoring of water quality at beaches, notify the public when water is unsafe for swimming, and submit water quality and notification data to EPA’s BEACON system. The program requires recipients to adopt EPA-approved numeric recreational water quality standards for pathogens, apply a tiered monitoring system based on beach usage and risk, and adhere to 11 EPA-defined performance criteria, which include monitoring procedures, public notification protocols, and program evaluation practices. The total annual program funding is approximately $10 million, with allocations based on factors such as length of beach season, shoreline miles, and coastal population. If total awards exceed $10 million, additional factors like beach use and shoreline mileage are considered. Recent grant totals were $9.737 million in 2025, $9.75 million in 2024, and over $10 million in 2023 and 2022. Since the inception of the program in 2001, the EPA has awarded over $226 million in grants. Grants are generally noncompetitive and issued through EPA regional offices. Eligible applicants include 30 U.S. states, five territories, and five Tribes with qualifying coastal recreational waters and EPA-approved standards. Grant recipients must submit a schedule for adopting new water quality standards and identify beach notification thresholds, either using EPA’s Beach Action Value (BAV) or providing a scientifically justified alternative. Matching funds are not required. Applicants must demonstrate consistency with EPA’s performance criteria and undergo public review of program modifications. Application submissions must include detailed monitoring plans, risk-based beach classifications, notification strategies, and reporting mechanisms. Applications are accepted annually and the opportunity recurs each fiscal year, though exact opening dates vary. For more information on the BEACH Act grant program, applicants can contact Rick Hoffmann at the U.S. EPA Office of Water at hoffmann.rick@epa.gov or 202-566-0388. Additional resources and guidance are available at [epa.gov/beaches](https://www.epa.gov/beaches) and [epa.gov/beach-tech](https://www.epa.gov/beach-tech).

Use EPA tools like sanitary surveys, predictive modeling, and qPCR. Consult with EPA regional offices on changes.