EPA Awards Over $1.1 Million to New England States for Beach Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring funds will help protect swimmers and support coastal economies across New England beaches.

• By Stasia DeMarco
• May 27, 2025

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced more than $1.1 million in grant funding to states across New England to support beach water quality monitoring and public notification efforts in the event of unsafe swimming conditions.

The funding, part of the EPA's Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act, is intended to help states test for illness-causing bacteria and inform the public when contamination levels exceed safety thresholds.

“A clean and safe New England coastline is an economic driver for the region,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator Mark Sanborn. “Through collaborative efforts with state and local entities, EPA's BEACH Act funding will help protect New Englanders from getting sick, while ensuring that local economies that rely on beachgoers know what to expect.”

The grants support the EPA’s broader “Powering the Great American Comeback” initiative, which emphasizes cooperative federalism and the agency’s commitment to ensuring clean and safe water access for all Americans.

Pending completion of all legal and administrative requirements, the EPA plans to distribute the following grant amounts to eligible states:

• Connecticut: $209,000
• Maine: $258,000
• Massachusetts: $258,000
• New Hampshire: $194,000
• Rhode Island: $214,000

Learn more about the BEACH Act grants.