4 Los Angeles County beaches remain under high bacteria warning. But bacteria count has dropped substantially from last year.
— One year after the L.A. County Board of Supervisors took action to fight the spread of bacteria on beaches, a total of 13 beaches are still under a heightened bacterial warning system and more are on the list for future action.
The latest bacterial threat list is available at beaches.lacounty.gov, and can range from red to yellow, indicating that bacteria have been found at the beach.
“This bacteria warning system is an alert to all beachgoers that L.A. County’s beaches are not for swimming and not safe for walking, walking on the sand, wading in or climbing on top of the water,” the website states.
The bacterial warning system came into effect in early 2016, when L.A. County Board of Supervisors supervisors voted unanimously to address the dangerous bacteria in L.A. County’s beaches.
“When you go to the beach, be warned,” said Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, who has been spearheading the fight against bacteria. “Take precautions, but don’t take risks.”
In 2016, the county reported a total of 3,547 people tested positive for bacteria at beaches, with 1,741 of those tests showing up positive at beaches along the Pacific coast. One year later, only 13 beaches on the Pacific coast remain under a heightened bacterial warning system, with bacteria detected at 5 beaches in 2016.
L.A. County beaches are not for swimming
The most recent beach update from L.A. County was issued on March 8, noting that the bacteria found on the beaches are not harmful to the environment, but are dangerous to people who come into contact with the bacteria.
“If you don’t believe it, test it,” Supervisor