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:
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.
Each beach receives a classification by the Health Department based on water quality data and trends.
Factors that help determine classifications include:
Open
A beach is classified as open and approved for swimming and wading when all of the following are true:
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:
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: