The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) is urging the public to avoid visiting 18 beaches due to unacceptably high levels of bacteria.
Los Angeles DPH officials warned locals last week to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in the ocean in several areas earlier this month due to the presence of potentially dangerous "pathogenic bacteria" in the water.
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On Wednesday, officials released an updated list of beaches that are considered unsafe "due to bacterial levels exceeding health standards when last tested," limiting access to millions who live in the Los Angeles area.
While the warnings remained in effect for all listed beaches at the time of publication, a Los Angeles DPH spokesperson told Newsweek via email on Thursday afternoon that another update would be released later in the day.
The following is the full list beaches that the public should avoid as of Thursday afternoon:
- Santa Monica Canyon Creek at Will Rogers State Beach—near Will Rogers Tower 18, 100 yards up and down the coast from the creek.
- Topanga Canyon Beach in Malibu—100 yards up and down the coast from the lagoon.
- Mothers Beach in Marina Del Rey—the entire swim area.
- Malibu Lagoon at Surfrider Beach—100 yards up and down the coast from the public restrooms.
- Santa Monica Pier—100 yards up and down the coast from the pier.
- Trancas Creek at Zuma Beach—100 yards up and down the coast from the creek.
- Malibu Pier—100 yards up and down the coast from the pier.
- Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro—the entire swim area.
- Escondido Creek at Escondido State Beach—the entire swim area.
- Dockweiler State Beach—Westchester Storm Drain, 100 yards up and down the coast from the storm drain.
- Santa Monica Beach—Pico-Kenter storm drain, Santa Monica South Tower 20, 100 yards up and down the coast from the storm drain.
- Walnut Creek at Paradise Cove—the entire swim area.
- Solstice Creek at Dan Blocker County Beach—the entire swim area.
- Puerco Beach—Marie Canyon Storm Drain, 100 yards up and down the coast from the public access steps.
- Carbon Canyon Beach—Sweetwater Canyon Storm Drain, the entire swim area.
- Topanga County Beach—Castlerock Storm Drain, the entire swim area.
- Latigo Shore Drive in Malibu—100 yards up and down the coast from the public access steps.
- Ramirez Creek at Paradise Cove—100 yards up and down the coast from the Paradise Cove Pier.
Updates to beach warnings are shared in recorded messages over the phone on the county's "beach closure hotline" at 1-800-525-5662.
A Los Angeles DPH spokesperson previously told Newsweek that all warnings would remain in effect until testing indicates that bacteria levels meet state standards for ocean water.
"Rain flushes contaminants and pollution from city streets into storm drains, creeks, and rivers," the spokesperson explained. "Contaminants such as trash, fertilizer, and pet waste may increase the levels of harmful microorganisms called 'pathogenic bacteria' in the ocean to potentially unsafe levels."
"These pathogenic bacteria can be present at or near the site where contaminant discharges enter the water," they continued. "In addition, piers may attract seabirds and ocean mammals that can cause elevated bacteria levels due to increased fecal contamination."
Beaches impacted by bacterial contamination are not limited to California. On Thursday, officials in Massachusetts closed more than 40 beaches across the state mostly due to bacteria levels, while the same issue led to the closing of 60 beaches in Long Island, New York.
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