Readers planning to hit the Los Angeles County beaches soon should rethink their plans. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has issued an Ocean Water Use Warning for a number of popular locations along the coast due to elevated bacteria levels. Beachgoers are advised to not to fully enjoy swimming, surfing, or any water play in certain areas.

Specifically, health officials have identified several problematic areas, including Santa Monica Pier and Santa Monica Canyon Creek at Will Rogers State Beach. Warnings extending 100 yards from each side of these points have been put in place. Other affected areas include Marie Canyon Storm Drain at Puerco Beach and Sweetwater Canyon Storm Drain at Carbon Canyon Beach, where the entire swimming areas are off-limits, as per county statements.

Also on the warning list are Mothers Beach in Marina Del Rey, Las Flores Creek at Las Flores State Beach, and Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro, with complete swim area prohibitions. These areas have all been flagged for high bacterial levels that crossed the health safety benchmarks during recent tests.

If you were looking to soak up the sun and take a dive in these waters, better to look elsewhere. The beach closures signal ongoing issues with contaminants plaguing the region's beaches. A 24-hour hotline run by the county provides up-to-date information on beach conditions for those who still wish to venture near the surf. Also available is an online map that details the impacted areas for those who want to visibly ensure to stay clear from the affected zones.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health continues to monitor the situation and will update advisories as conditions change. For more information, residents and visitors can check out PublicHealth.LACounty.gov/Beach/.