The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is waving a red flag at beachgoers planning to take a dip in certain coastal waters. According to the most recent public notices, several popular spots have been stamped with ocean water use warnings due to bacterial levels that sprint past the acceptable health standards.
Locations on the warning list include the Pico-Kenter storm drain at Santa Monica Beach, and Big Rock Beach in Malibu or the entirety of the swim areas at Inner Cabrillo Beach and Mothers Beach. The department is clear-cut in their guidance — aim to stay 100 yards away, up and down the coast, from sites like the Santa Monica Pier and the Marie Canyon Storm Drain at Puerco Beach. If you're planning to set out your beach chair near the Strand Street extension at Santa Monica Beach or the 28th Street extension in Manhattan Beach, you might want to rethink and reposition to clearly avoid any health risks.
Some spots have recently been scrubbed off the list where water quality levels decided to actually play nice with State standards. The Ashland Ave. storm drain in Santa Monica and the Herondo Street storm drain in Hermosa Beach are now welcoming beachgoers back for some fun in the sun. Additionally, according to a recent announcement, the Windward storm drain at Venice Beach has also gotten the all-clear.
For those of you who like to continuously stay in the loop, grab your phone and dial into the County's beach closure hotline at 1-800-525-5662, available 24 hours a day.
