Heading to the beach this weekend? You might want to check which spots are safe for a dip. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is waving the red flag at several local beaches, advising against taking a swim or catching some waves due to high bacterial levels in the water. According to their latest bulletin, specific beach areas have been tagged with ocean water use warnings following tests that revealed bacterial counts shooting past the comfort zone of health standards.
Steer clear of Topanga Canyon Beach in Malibu, specifically 100 yards surrounding the lagoon. The same goes for the Marie Canyon Storm Drain at Puerco Beach, the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, the Castlerock Storm Drain at Topanga County Beach, and Ramirez Creek at Paradise Cove. All these locations have been highlighted due to the water quality not being up to snuff when last tested, so your beach day could end with unwanted germs if you're not careful.
According to the county's announcement, there's a silver lining with certain areas getting the all-clear. Warnings have been lifted for The Bel Air Bay Club at Will Rogers State Beach, which means if you're looking for safer sands, that's your bet. The water quality there has recently met the State's pristine standards again.
For those who like their updates as they come, the County's beach closure hotline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-525-5662, providing recorded information on beach conditions. To get a visual idea of where exactly these no-go zones and safe spots are, you can visit the Public Health's website for a map of impacted locations.
