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California Beaches: Sewaged or Pristine?
27 Jan
Summary
- Santa Monica Pier ranked dirtiest beach in California.
- Water quality graded based on sewage-indicating bacteria levels.
- Orange County led with 34 beaches on the 'Honor Roll'.
A recent analysis by Heal the Bay has ranked California's beaches based on water quality, with Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles identified as the dirtiest.
The nonprofit organization assigned grades from A to F, primarily based on the concentration of sewage-indicating bacteria like total coliform, fecal coliform (E. coli), and Enterococcus.
Santa Monica Pier received an F, with factors including avian waste and urban runoff contributing to pollution. Nearby Playa Blanca in Mexico and Tijuana Slough in San Diego County also ranked high on the 'dirtiest' list due to wastewater infrastructure issues.
