About /

Terms of use

Effective Nov 4, 2026

DirtyWaterWatch (dirtywaterwatch.org) is published by InfoBakery ("we", "us"). By using the site, its data downloads, feeds or API, you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the site.

What the site is

DirtyWaterWatch brings together public records: sewage discharge reports, beach and water advisories, and related notices published by state agencies, sewer operators, the U.S. EPA and other authorities. Every report cites its source and the times behind it. Alongside those records the site shows its own estimates: the estimated downstream stretches a discharge may reach, and the caution periods the site adds after some discharges and after heavy rain. These are DirtyWaterWatch's own rules, explained on the methods page, not the authorities' advice.

The site is for information only.

What the site is not

• Not a verdict on the water. We never say whether water is fit to swim in or use. DirtyWaterWatch tracks public reports. It does not test water or declare it safe. Missing reports and expired advisories do not establish water quality. Follow posted signs and local health advice.
• Not a substitute for official advice. The authorities' own advisories, beach postings and health notices come first. Always read the original notice, which every report links where the source provides one.
• Not an emergency service. Messages to us do not reach emergency responders. To report a spill in progress, call your state environmental agency's emergency line. In an emergency, call 911.
• Not a water-testing service or a government agency. We do not measure conditions at any location.

Our rules err on the side of safety: when a report suggests some likelihood that a water is affected, we show it, even if the official notice is brief or has expired. A water with no current status shown may still be affected by a discharge nobody reported, by rain or by other pollution. Whether to enter the water is your choice.

Accuracy

Public records can be late, incomplete or wrong, and a source can stop updating. Our estimates are models, not measurements. We show the source's time, its publication time and when we fetched it so you can judge how current a report is, and we correct errors when we find them or are told about them. We do not promise that the site is complete, accurate or current at any moment.

No warranty

The site and its data are provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind, express or implied. That includes any warranty of accuracy, completeness, availability, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. The site may change, pause or go offline without notice.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent the law allows, InfoBakery and the people who run DirtyWaterWatch are not liable for any loss, injury, illness or damage arising from your use of the site or its data, or from being unable to use them. That includes any choice about whether to enter or use a water, and any indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages. Some states do not allow some of these limits; where they do not, the limits apply as far as the law allows.

Using the data

The compiled dataset (the reports, the CSV downloads and the data behind the maps) is released under the Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0. You may copy, share and adapt it, including for commercial use, as long as you:

• credit DirtyWaterWatch and the sources named in each record;
• share any adapted database under the same license;
• keep each source's own terms, listed on the Sources page, which still apply to its records.

Do not present our estimates or caution periods as official notices, or any part of the data as a statement that a water is fit to use.

The site's text and design

The site's text, design, name and logo are © 2026 InfoBakery, all rights reserved, apart from the data released under the ODbL above and material that belongs to others. You are welcome to quote short passages with a link to the page. Official notices quoted on the site remain the words of the authorities that issued them.

Map sources: water outlines and launches from OpenBoatLaunch and OpenStreetMap contributors (Open Database License); wastewater outlets from EPA and state records; downstream estimates by DirtyWaterWatch using U.S. Geological Survey maps and flow data. Base map: OpenFreeMap and OpenMapTiles. The OpenStreetMap data is © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Acceptable use

The way to get the data in bulk is the published dataset: the CSV downloads and the Atom feeds (for example all new reports). Please use them rather than copying pages. In using the site, you agree not to:

• scrape or crawl it in a way that puts a heavy load on the service, or get around any limit on access;
• try to disrupt the site, reach parts of it that are not public, or interfere with other people's use of it, except as described on the Security page;
• send spam, automated messages or unlawful content through the contact form;
• imply that DirtyWaterWatch or InfoBakery endorses you, your product or your use of the data.

Other sites

The site links to agencies, sewer operators, openboatlaunch.org and other sites. We are not responsible for their content, availability or terms.

Corrections

If something on the site is wrong or missing, tell us through the contact form with the page link and, if you have it, the original notice. Every page has a "Report a data error" link at the foot that fills in the page for you.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. The new version is posted here with a new effective date, and using the site after that date means you accept it.

Governing law

The site is intended for use in the United States. These terms are governed by the laws of the United States and the state in which the publisher is located. If any part of these terms cannot be enforced, the rest still applies.

Contact

Questions about these terms: use the contact form. See also the privacy notice.