Santa Monica Pier Area Named Among California's Dirtiest Beaches for Tenth Year

The Santa Monica Pier area ranked among California's dirtiest beaches for the tenth consecutive year according to the annual Beach Report Card released by the environmental nonprofit Heal the Bay. The report examined fecal pollution levels at 490 beaches along the West Coast from Baja California to Washington state.

Of the ten dirtiest beaches identified, six are in San Mateo County, one in San Diego County, one in Humboldt County, and the Santa Monica Pier area in Los Angeles County.

Heal the Bay reported that bacteria levels at the Santa Monica Pier have risen since 2020, with monthly averages reaching up to twenty times safety thresholds in recent years. The organization stated that exposure to contaminated water can cause rashes, ear and upper respiratory infections, and gastrointestinal illness.

“No one should get sick from a weekend in our waters,” Heal the Bay Chief Executive Tracy Quinn said in a prepared statement. The city of Santa Monica upgraded stormwater capture systems and installed bird-deterring netting in prior years. The report noted that the current netting has fallen into disrepair and that bacteria levels have increased despite these upgrades.

Heal the Bay and the city of Santa Monica have formed a task force that includes government agencies, scientists, businesses, and community members. The group has begun analyzing twenty years of bacteria data at the pier to identify trends and sources of contamination.

In partnership with the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, researchers will conduct microbial source testing to determine whether the bacteria originate from humans, birds, dogs, or other sources. Out of 490 monitored beaches, twenty-one earned spots on Heal the Bay's honor roll for clean water quality.

Researchers attributed the decline from sixty-two beaches last year to higher-than-average seasonal rainfall in Southern California.