Disclaimer

Last updated: April 2026

Informational use only

BeachGrade publishes data, scores, rankings, and analysis about U.S. public-beach water quality: swim-advisory history, bacteria-exceedance grades, and where to stay. Everything on beachgrade.org is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not professional advice and should not be relied on as the sole basis for any consequential decision.

Nothing on beachgrade.org constitutes financial, legal, medical, tax, investment, real-estate, insurance, or engineering advice. Always consult a qualified, licensed professional for decisions that affect your money, health, safety, legal status, or property.

Data source and accuracy

The underlying data displayed on beachgrade.org is derived from the U.S. EPA BEACON (BEACH Act) program and the Water Quality Portal (WQX/STORET). We do our best to process that data faithfully, but we make no representations or warranties — express or implied — about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability of any information, analysis, or related graphics.

Source records may contain errors, be incomplete, be reported late, or be restated by the issuing agency after publication. Where the source corrects a record, BeachGrade will follow on the next refresh — but there may be a lag. Always verify any figure against the original source before acting on it.

How we process this data: For each beach we pull the EPA BEACON inventory and advisory history, then gather bacteria samples (Enterococcus at saltwater and Great Lakes beaches, E. coli at other freshwater beaches) from the Water Quality Portal at nearby monitoring stations. The Beach Safety Grade is the multi-year share of samples that exceeded the EPA Beach Action Value (104 CFU/100 mL for Enterococcus, 235 for E. coli): under 3% earns an A, over 25% an F. A letter grade is only assigned with at least 20 samples over two or more years; beaches below that are marked “not yet rated” rather than guessed at.

Refresh cadence: Refreshed as EPA BEACON and the Water Quality Portal publish new monitoring results; grades reflect multiple recent seasons.

Known limitations of this source: Monitoring is seasonal and uneven — some beaches are sampled weekly, others rarely — so grades reflect what has been reported. A grade is a multi-year track record, not a current advisory: water quality changes quickly, especially after rain. Bacteria are an indicator, not a complete measure of safety (rip currents, algae, and chemical hazards are separate concerns). Always check the official state or county advisory before swimming. BeachGrade is informational and not a substitute for public-health guidance.

No warranties

beachgrade.org is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis, without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, or course of performance.

No professional relationship

Reading, using, linking to, or sharing beachgrade.org does not create any advisor-client, attorney-client, doctor-patient, or fiduciary relationship between you and BeachGrade or its operators.

Third-party links and affiliate disclosure

beachgrade.org is free to read and ad-free. It contains links to third-party websites, and some outbound links may be affiliate links — if you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you, always disclosed where it applies. We do not endorse, control, or assume responsibility for the content, products, services, or practices of any third party. Following a link is at your own risk, and a commission never changes our editorial judgment.

Rankings and scores

Any rankings, grades, or composite scores published on beachgrade.org are editorial opinions derived from public data using documented methodologies. They are not professional certifications, accreditations, or endorsements, and they are not a substitute for independent due diligence.

Limitation of liability

In no event will BeachGrade, its operators, contributors, or data providers be liable for any loss or damage — including, without limitation, indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits, data, or goodwill — arising out of or in connection with the use of beachgrade.org or reliance on any information it contains.

External sites

When beachgrade.org links out to government agencies, research organizations, or news publications, those external sites are governed by their own terms and privacy policies. BeachGrade is not responsible for their content or practices.

Changes to this disclaimer

We may update this disclaimer at any time. Continued use of beachgrade.org after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated disclaimer. The "Last updated" date above reflects the most recent revision.

Contact

Questions about this disclaimer or a specific page? contact@beachgrade.org.