The Connecticut Department of Public Health announced on Monday more $200,000 in federal funding is being given to monitor water quality at state beaches.

The funding comes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act. The money will go to fund water quality monitoring programs to ensure that beachgoers know when coastal waters are safe for swimming and recreation.

"The beaches grant is really critical for the citizens in the state of Connecticut," said Connecticut Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthan. "And we've been getting this grant as Senator Blumenthal mentioned, over two decades but since 2001 the department of public health has been sampling water from the beaches."

Manisha is also telling citizens to listen to beach closing warnings to avoid exposure to bacteria.