Six Los Angeles County beaches are under water use warnings after testing found bacteria levels that exceed state health standards.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued the advisory on Tuesday, Sept. 1, telling the public to avoid swimming, surfing and playing in the water at the affected sites. The warning lands just ahead of Labor Day weekend.
The six locations on the warning are:
- Mother's Beach in Marina Del Rey (entire swim area)
- Redondo Beach Pier in Redondo Beach (100 yards up and down the coast from the pier)
- Ramirez Creek at Paradise Cove (100 yards up and down the coast from Paradise Cove Pier)
- Solstice Creek at Dan Blocker County Beach (entire swim area)
- Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro (entire swim area)
- Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica (100 yards up and down the coast from the pier)
The department said recent water samples showed bacterial levels that may increase the risk of illness. The specific type of bacteria was not identified in the advisory.
Five of the six locations have appeared on the county's warning list before this summer. Inner Cabrillo Beach, Santa Monica Pier, Ramirez Creek at Paradise Cove and Solstice Creek at Dan Blocker County Beach were all flagged in warnings issued Aug. 17 and Aug. 25, as the Culver City Observer reported. Redondo Beach Pier appeared on the Aug. 17 and Aug. 27 warnings. Mother's Beach is the only new addition.
According to the county's beach water quality page, bacteria levels can spike during and after rainstorms as contaminants in runoff enter the ocean. Levels may stay elevated for up to three days depending on rain intensity and runoff volume. The Sept. 1 advisory did not attribute this round of warnings to a specific cause.
Multiple agencies collect weekly water samples at mainland beaches, including the Department of Public Health's Environmental Health division, the LA County Sanitation Districts and the City of LA's Environmental Monitoring Division.
No end date was given for the warnings. When bacteria exceed state standards, the county posts signs at affected beaches and updates its website. Residents heading to the coast can check current conditions on the county's beach page or call the 24-hour hotline at 1-800-525-5662.
