When temperatures rise, we all head to the beach to cool down. Getting our feet wet or jumping right in to the water, we think we connect with nature, but in some cases, we only swap sweat for bacteria. Dangerous bacteria resulting from sewage spills that may or may not be visible (or odorous).

So before going for a dip, a swim, a dive or a surf in any of California beaches waters, visit healthebay.com and read the report card for your beach.

Heal the Bay is “dedicated to making Southern California coastal waters and watersheds safe, healthy and clean”. Started in 1985 in reaction to the pollution of the Santa Monica Bay by sewage and storm drains, this nonprofit environmental organization now grades over 500 locations for summer dry weather on a daily and weekly basis, measuring levels of fecal pollution in the surfzone in Northern and Southern California.

Sadly, in 2008-2009, “six of the ten most polluted beach areas in the state were in LA County”. If your particular California beach does not show up in their annual report card, follow these cautionary steps:

1.      never swim within 100 yards on either side of a flowing storm drain

2.      wait for at least three days after the end of a storm before going into the water. Stormdrain runoff is the greatest source of pollution to local beaches. What are they contaminated with? Nasty stuff such as pesticides, motor oil, animal waste and simply trash.

 

To read the full report for the year 2008-2009, go to their 2009 annual report. 

 

For beach water quality reports on the East Coast of the US, the Great Lakes and Hawaii, please visit the National Resource Defense Council website.