Enterococcus bacteria are tested in the samples to indicate presence of bacteria in the water. Elevated levels of these bacteria in the water can indicate possible contamination by fecal waste. Enterococcus is a type of bacteria that lives in the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals, including humans, pets and wildlife. Enterococci are typically not considered harmful to humans, but their presence in the environment may indicate that other disease-causing organisms may be present.

DHEC issues short-term or temporary swimming advisories during the swimming season from May 1 to October 1. Temporary advisories typically last one to two days. Long-term swimming advisories (see description below) are issued for beach water monitoring locations that have an increased possibility of high bacteria levels -- especially following rain events -- due to stormwater runoff.

No. Beach swim advisories are for isolated spots at monitoring locations where swimming is not advised. Most advisories are temporary - lasting only a day or two. 

DHEC has partnered with several municipalities, counties, and other stakeholders in S.C.'s beaches to develop Check My Beach, a website that provides education about beach safety. This includes information on rip currents, flag safety, and water quality. It also links to local area beaches for more specific beach information. Currently this collective effort is in the Grand Strand area, but DHEC plans to expand this partnership to make Check My Beach a statewide program and add more partners along the coast. For further information, please see our Road Show video.

If two consecutive samples from a monitoring station come back as greater than the accepted standard, a temporary advisory is issued (see footnote below for more detail*).  

Follow-up sampling is performed daily, and the temporary advisory is removed when the enterococcus bacteria levels drop below the standard.

DHEC places temporary signs at sampling points on the beach and the beach access guide found at http://gis.dhec.sc.gov/beachaccess is updated to show the temporary advisory. There is also a beach advisory table at the bottom of these FAQs that updates with temporary advisories. For beaches not yet taking part in the Check My Beach program a press release will be issued.

Long-term swimming advisories are put in place for monitoring stations with an increased possibility of high bacteria levels -- especially following rain events -- due to stormwater runoff.

Signs posted at these locations provide advice about swimming in the immediate area due to the potential of high bacteria levels, usually associated with rainfall events. The long-term advisories and signs typically are located where stormwater from pipes or swashes (small creeks) flows across the beach to the ocean.
 

A long-term advisory is issued for monitoring locations where more than 10 percent of the enterococcus data collected over the past five years exceeds the recreational use standard for enterococcus. The need for a long-term advisory at a monitoring location is reassessed each year. Temporary advisories are not posted where long-term advisories already exist.

Long-term advisories began in Myrtle Beach in 2007 and in Surfside Beach and Horry County in 2008.

Coastal Carolina University collects data at several stations in the Grand Strand area and reports the results to DHEC year-round for informational purposes. 

Temporary swimming advisories are not issued outside of the May 1 to October 1 season.

Yes. Stormwater solutions/improvements being implemented by local governments are working, resulting in a downward trend in the number of long-term advisory signs.  Signs for a long-term advisory are removed when water quality data shows improvement (less than 10 percent of the samples exceed the standard). 

Currently, there are 122 beach water monitoring stations in the state. These stations are located from Cherry Grove Beach near the South Carolina-North Carolina border to the southern end of Hilton Head Island.

DHEC samples water at the state's beaches twice a month starting May 1 to October 1. Beaches in the Myrtle Beach area are sampled weekly.