Page 113 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2025

Beach Monitoring
“Under that program we currently have 18 projects completed or underway. These include projects in the engineering and design phases as well as projects under construction,” he said.
Wells says MDEQ is responsible for oil spill settlement funds from several sources, including the natural resource damage assessment and restoration process under the Oil Pollution Act and civil and criminal penalties under the Clean Water Act, that are used to fund restoration and water quality improvement projects on the Gulf Coast.
“We have some septic tanks and sewer projects in Hancock and Jackson counties, and we’ve used grant money to fund individual projects,” he said. “The point is to repair and upgrade existing wastewater systems. Cutting contamination off at the source will improve water quality. We work with our cities, counties, and utility authorities to leverage funds where possible, to stretch the dollars to do as much work as we can.”
Wells says it is important to understand that the naturally SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net
brown color of the water along Mississippi’s beaches does
not mean it’s dirty. The Mississippi Sound is a unique estuary that receives freshwater from five major river systems. These rivers carry sediment and organic matter that can affect water clarity, but these variations are natural and not a sign of pollution. “We face the same pollution challenges as all other beaches. That is why we want to keep attention on our monitoring program and website with a focus that aligns with our beach-monitoring and restoration efforts,” said Wells.
Visit beaches.mdeq.ms.gov to learn more and get the most up-to-date information.
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality 601.961.5171 www.mdeq.ms.gov
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