It’s Summer in Barnstable County! Seasonal Staff Provide Vital Assistance in Cape Cod’s 15 Towns
When Cape Cod’s population explodes in the summer, the demand for health and safety mechanisms in our restaurants, recreational water bodies, and housing rises exponentially. Therefore, Barnstable County hires a miniature army of seasonal staff (pictured) to meet the need and provide Cape Cod’s 15 towns with vital public health services.
Fun Fact! Many of our seasonal beach samplers and public health assistants have backgrounds in public health and/or the environmental field, are passionate about our Cape Cod communities, and go on to hold permanent positions within Barnstable County!
Public Health Assistants
In 2024, our seasonal Public Health Assistants conducted approximately 900 inspections of restaurant/retail food establishments, housing, and swimming pools across Barnstable County during the summer season, including complaint follow-up and repeat inspections when necessary.
In addition to inspectional services, public and environmental concerns specific to our region provided these seasonal assistants with the opportunity to provide backing to both Department staff and town health departments in other areas of public and environmental health. This included distribution of educational materials related to protecting and preserving our natural resources and performing environmental monitoring.
Beach Sampler/Analysts
The Bathing Beach Monitoring Program serves the towns in Barnstable County through weekly collection and analysis of water samples from public and semi-public beaches. Water samples are analyzed at the Barnstable County Water Quality Laboratory. The Program notifies town health agents and semi-public beach operators when sample results exceed the bacteriological limits set by the Massachusetts Bathing Beach Regulations (105 CMR 445.00) and if/when a beach closure is required. When an exceedance occurs, the program’s sampling staff immediately resample the affected beach and continue to do so until results meet state requirements.
Over 350 beaches across Cape Cod are sampled every week in the summer months (Memorial Day – Labor Day). It’s a big job, and our five Beach Sampler/Analysts traverse the entire Cape, from Bourne to Provincetown (samples are sent over to our laboratory from Wareham and Nantucket as well), to get it done. It’s not always a “day at the beach” as our samplers work in all weather conditions (rain, shine, wind, cold).
Interested in learning more about our Beaching Beach Monitoring Program in 2025? Visit Barnstable County’s Recreational Beach Monitoring Program Begins this Month! – Barnstable County.
Laboratory Assistants
In addition to the Beach Monitoring Program, the Barnstable County Water Quality Laboratory provides high quality analyses of potentially harmful contaminants in drinking water by assisting water departments on Cape Cod in meeting the monitoring requirements necessary for adherence to state and federal water quality standards. The Laboratory also provides analytical services to owners of private drinking water wells and weekly sample pick-up in Wellfleet, Truro, Eastham, Brewster, Falmouth and Mashpee. During the summer months, when Cape Cod’s population nearly doubles, the demand for laboratory services related to surface water, groundwater, drinking water, and wastewater increases correspondingly. Our seasonal analysts help meet this need in both the bacteriological and chemistry laboratories.
