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Willard Beach Water Quality
Check Current Beach Status
Water quality testing at Willard Beach is conducted Memorial Day through Labor Day in partnership with Maine Healthy Beaches. Check beach status.
Willard Beach Water Quality Update (September 9, 2025)
During this City Council Workshop, staff from the Water Resource Protection Department and Maine Department of Environmental Protection presented an update on water quality monitoring at Willard Beach. View the presentation materials and watch the presentation below.
Willard Beach Watershed Assessment Efforts (August 23, 2023)
Check out our outline our approach to protecting and preserving the vital coastal amenity that is South Portland's Willard Beach (PDF). It gives an overview of how the City monitors water quality, outlines the challenges posed by wet weather and the built environment, describes our watershed assessment and asset management efforts, and summarizes our next steps for ensuring the beach remains safe and swimmable.
Stormwater Outfall Monitoring Results
In partnership with the Maine Healthy Beaches (MHB) Program, WRP staff have been collecting enterococcus and optical brightener samples from stormwater outfall WB17 (JPG) on Willard Beach. Enterococcus concentrations above the MHB threshold of 104 MPN/100 mL of sample indicate potential fecal contamination from humans or warm blooded animals. Optical brightener concentrations above the MHB threshold of 100 ug/mL may indicate the presence of laundry detergents originating from the sewer system. For more information, please view the Willard Beach Stormwater Outfall Monitoring Results.
Maine Healthy Beaches' Water Quality Test Results for Willard Beach
You can access Maine Healthy Beaches' Water Quality Test Results for Willard Beach. Check current beach status via MHB's Check Beach Status page. To view all of MHB's 2023 Willard Beaches results, zoom into Willard to narrow down the data table on the right hand side of the screen. Then click on the "ALL DATA" tab to see the full season's worth of data to date.