Update on July 22, 2024: On Saturday, July 20, an estimated 15,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled into Ballona Creek after a sewer pipe broke, prompting official beach closures at the neighboring Venice and Dockweiler State beaches.
The summer crowds who turn a blind eye to beach advisory signs could be a cause for concern for public health officials and environmentalists in L.A.
As the seasonal heat draws bigger crowds to our beaches, a growing list of beach advisories and public health warning signs raise health and environmental concerns.
The L.A. County Department of Public Health last issued a warning for a handful of L.A.’s most popular beaches on July 5. Signs cautioning people against contact with ocean waters due to unsafe bacteria levels are posted at 16 local beaches. Exposure to these bacteria could result in personal illness, but the warnings also speak to the decay of the ecosystems we rely on.