Cathy Phillips from King County Public Health and Julianne Ruffner from the state Ecology Department (below) visited Alki Beach this morning, to sample the water while providing a quick media briefing on the BEACH program, which monitors the water at “high-use saltwater beaches” between Memorial Day and Labor Day. (Here’s the draft list for this year.)

Whether you’re going to Alki or one of the other beaches on the list, their message is to “surf the web before you surf the beach” – check online before you go into the water – look at this map to see if there’s an advisory where you’re going. The BEACH program samples water at its designated beaches every week; Phillips explained that the water is shipped to the lab the same day it’s gathered, and they find out within about 24 hours whether there’s a problem. Be careful after a storm, she warned, because rain can change the water quality even from whatever a previous day’s tests showed. You can help keep the water safe, the program advises – “pick up after your pets, have toddlers wear swim diapers, make sure young children get frequent bathroom breaks, and pick up your trash. Avoid feeding the wildlife.”