IDEM relaunches BeachAlert notification system

Few things are as frustrating as planning a day at the beach only to show up and find out that it is closed. However, thanks to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management's (IDEM) updated BeachAlert notification system, beachgoers can "know before you go!"
BeachAlert allows residents to sign up for text and email notifications about beach advisories and closures due to bacteria levels. More than 35 beaches participate in the program, providing real-time status updates on beach conditions. BeachAlert also allows users to check if their favorite beaches are under a contamination advisory or closure, check water sample results, and find out information on the organization responsible for monitoring the beach.

"Each year, hundreds of thousands of people head to Indiana beaches along Lake Michigan for fun and recreation in the water," said IDEM Commissioner Brian Rockensuess. "BeachAlert is an incredible, customizable tool, allowing beachgoers to plan before a visit to their favorite beaches."
1. Users can sign up to receive BeachAlert notifications by email or mobile device by visiting: https://portal.idem.in.gov/BeachAlert/
The most common cause of beach closures is elevated levels of E. Coli, the indicator bacteria used to determine potential human health risks in beach recreational waters. Using guidelines established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), IDEM requires that either an Advisory or Closure be issued at a beach whenever a single sample result exceeds 235 colony forming units (cfu) per 100 milliliters (mL). To help determine our beaches' E. coli levels, IDEM works with local organizations to perform water quality monitoring and notification activities at participating beaches.
Any sample result exceeding Indiana's Recreational Water Quality Standard of 235 cfu/100ml requires the local beach manager to post an alert, which is published to IDEM's BeachAlert portal. IDEM's BeachAlert portal contains information about Indiana's coastal and inland beaches.
Beach managers notify the public about beach water quality by posting beach signage that alerts beachgoers about water contamination advisories and beach closures. They also post E. coli sampling results, water contamination advisories, and beach closures on IDEM BeachAlert. For more information on the Lake Michigan Beach Program, visit beaches.IN.gov.