On Nov. 26, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the release of new recreational water quality criteria. The new criteria are not prescriptive but are intended to serve as a tool for states to use in setting their standards. The 2012 standards are also intended to improve protection of public health by including a broader range of illness symptoms, better accounting for pollution after heavy rain, more-protective recommendations for coastal waters, rapid water testing, and early alerts for swimming advisories. With the standard, EPA also provides tools for evaluating water safety, managing recreational waters, and determining pollution sources.