Through its Blue Wave Campaign, the Clean Beaches Council certifies rural and resort beaches that meet strict criteria for water quality, cleanliness, public safety and environmental management. The certification program aims both to promote beaches that are managed to protect their natural assets as well as to help the public identify the nation's cleanest and safest beaches when planning vacations. Yet most beaches in the United States do not regularly monitor water quality, and over the last decade nearly 19,000 have been closed because of health advisories, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
Beaches play a unique and vital role in the nation's environment, economy and way of life.
The Blue Wave Campaign promotes sustainable management of beach resources in order to preserve a legacy of clean beaches for generations to come. The Blue Wave Campaign is patterned after similar initiatives to identify clean and safe beaches, such as Blue Flag beaches in Europe, and Britain's Seaside Awards. The program is entirely voluntary. The Clean Beaches Council works with state and local environmental authorities to verify application data, and Blue Wave certification is valid for one year only. Beaches that succeed at meeting the criteria receive the distinctive Blue Wave flag, which is the symbol of the program.