DHEC Presents Check My Beach With Community Star Award

Check My Beach Program Recognized by DHEC for Improving Public Health, Quality of Life

Beachgoers in Horry County are able to receive up-to-date water quality and safety information thanks to the online resource CheckMyBeach.com. On Aug. 24, local municipalities and organizations were recognized by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) for the Check My Beach program with the Community Star Award.

DHEC’s Community Star Award recognizes a business, community organization, collaborative partnership, or individual that goes above and beyond environmental requirements in order to build better community relationships, promote environmental sustainability and resiliency, and/or improve quality of life for communities.

Check My Beach was selected for the honor in 2019, shortly after the program launched, but due to COVID, DHEC was unable to present the award until now. For the past two years, the program has grown from 20 Check My Beach signs at beach access points in Myrtle Beach to 450 signs located across the Grand Strand, according to Bryan Rabon, DHEC’s manager of Aquatic Sciences.

Along with the website, CheckMyBeach.com, and beach signs that include a QR code to easily access the website, the program includes brochures found throughout the Myrtle Beach area and various social media awareness promotions.

“The entire Check My Beach effort is designed to get accurate beach condition information into the hands of our local residents as well as our visitors. Along with water quality data, the resource provides a variety of beach safety information, including weather conditions, tide reports and rip tide warnings,” said Karen Riordan, president and CEO of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Check My Beach was made possible through a collaboration between DHEC, the City of Myrtle Beach, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Coastal Waccamaw Stormwater Education Consortium. Additionally, the City of North Myrtle Beach, the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Town of Surfside Beach, Horry County, Myrtle Beach State Park, the Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

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