Clallam County Beach Watcher volunteers will collect water samples for the first time at John Wayne Marina and Sequim Bay State Park this spring and summer. The sampling will begin May 18 and continue until Labor Day.

The volunteers will wear blue gloves and carry sampling wands and bottles, said Jessica Archer, coordinator of the Beach Environmental Assessment Communication and Health Program.

"We encourage people to chat with them. They also will be handing out brochures on staying safe at the beach," she said.

Most of the sampling will be done on Mondays and Tuesdays so there’s time to close a beach by the weekend if test results come back positive for harmful bacteria levels.

If problems are found, warning signs will be posted.

"People also can check the Washington Beach Program’s Web site before going out," Archer said.

Go to the state Department of Ecology’s home page at www.ecy.wa.gov. Click on "Programs," then "Environmental Assessment" and finally on "Beach Environmental Assessment, Communication and Health" under the "Puget Sound and Coastal"

heading.