Beach Monitoring and Surveillance - NYC Health

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NYC Beach Classifications

The NYC Health Department inspects all permitted City beaches and monitors their water quality.

If water quality test results do not meet the criteria for a beach to be open for swimming and wading, the City will issue a beach advisory or closure. These notifications must be posted by beach facilities.

To find the status of a City beach:

Call 311

Text “BEACH” to 55676

Check the NYC Area Beach Map

Do not swim in areas where there are no lifeguards, or when a beach is under an advisory or closure. If you or someone you know became sick from swimming at a beach, call 311 or submit an online complaint.

How Beaches are Classified

Each beach receives a classification by the Health Department based on water quality data and trends.

Factors that help determine classifications include:

Regional hydrodynamics

Sanitary and safety surveys

Spills or pollution events

Site conditions

How often the beach is used

Size of a beach

Proximity to potential pollution sources and storm water discharges

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Open

A beach is classified as open and approved for swimming and wading when all of the following are true:

Beach water quality meets established water standards for marine water beaches.

Inspectors were satisfied by sanitary and safety surveys.

There have been no repeated complaints or reports of illness or injury on or near the beach.

Advisory

When water has high levels of bacteria, the Health Department issues an advisory. This means swimming and wading are not recommended, but the beach is open.

Contact with contaminated water may cause vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory illness or infections. Children, pregnant women, the elderly and the chronically ill are at higher risk of getting sick.

An advisory may be issued based on:

Water quality concerns

Presence of:

Floatable debris

Medical or infectious waste

Toxic contaminants

Petroleum products

Other contamination

Sewage and wastewater discharge following heavy rainfall.

The following levels of rainfall can result in an advisory:

Beach	Rainfall Limit	Advisory Duration

Orchard Beach
more than 2.5 inches
24 hours

Manhattan Beach,
Kingsborough Community College,
Brooklyn Midland Beach,
South Beach,
Cedar Grove Beach
1.5-2.5 inches
12 hours

more than 2.5 inches
24 hours

Coney Island
more than 2.5 inches
12 hours

Gerritsen Beach
Whitestone Booster
0.3-0.6 inches
18 hours

more than 0.6 inches
40 hours

Douglaston
0.3-0.6 inches
30 hours

0.6-2.5 inches
60 hours

more than 2.5 inches
72 hours

All Bronx Private Beaches
0.6-2.5 inches
36 hours

more than 2.5 inches
48 hours

Closed

City beaches may be closed for swimming and wading when:

Samples show that beach water quality does not meet established standards.

There have been a high number of illnesses or complaints about illness or injury.

There are hazardous amounts of:

Floatable debris

Medical/infectious waste

Toxic contaminants

Petroleum products

Sewage and wastewater discharge have lowered the water quality.

Any other environmental factors that may be a public health or safety hazard.

Check current beach conditions.

Surveillance and Monitoring Beach Reports

NYC Beaches 2024 (PDF)

NYC Beaches 2023 (PDF)

NYC Beaches 2022 (PDF)

NYC Beaches 2021 (PDF)

NYC Beaches 2020 (PDF)

NYC Beaches 2019 (PDF)

More Beach Information

NYC Beaches Homepage

Preventing Illness from Water Recreation