Maine Healthy Beaches program ends monitoring for the season

MAINE PUBLIC • September 7, 2026

Labor Day weekend marks the end of routine water quality monitoring for the season. The Maine Healthy Beaches program tracks participating saltwater beaches from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Aging infrastructure and heavy summer rains can turn popular beaches into collection points for agricultural runoff, pet waste, and sewage overflows, according to data from Maine Healthy Beaches program. In the off season, program officials suggest that swimmers avoid going in the water near storm drains for 24-48 hours after a heavy rain, or if water smells strange or looks dirty. As of Friday, no beaches were reported unsafe for swimming.