Are the Problems Getting Better? |
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A number of programs address existing water quality problems that affect swimming safety.
- Clean Beaches Initiative Grant Projects
California is committed to improving and protecting beaches along its coast. Since 2001, California has invested $100 million in Clean Beaches Initiative grants to fund local projects that reduce bacterial contamination along the coast. The State has also funded research to develop more rapid detection methods for knowing when to post beaches, tracking the sources of contamination, and studies to better understand the relationship between bacterial indicators and incidence of disease.
- Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
A Total Maximum Daily Load, is a regulation designed to improve water quality by controlling the amount of a pollutant entering a water body. Under the federal Clean Water Act, every impaired water body on the 303(d) list is required to have a TMDL, designed to bring the water body back into compliance with water quality standards.
