In the wake of torrential rains in Southern California, Santa Monica-based Heal the Bay, which is dedicated to improving water quality for people and marine life, warned beachgoers to stay out of the ocean for at least one week.
“When heavy rains begin to saturate the ground, extreme amounts of run-off flow directly into the ocean, greatly increasing the public’s risk of infection,” said Dr. Mark Gold, executive director of Heal the Bay. “There’s also a good chance of sewage leaking into storm drains and into the ocean. We encourage people to stay out of the water for one week after the rainstorms stop to avoid coming down with the stomach flu, respiratory infections and skin rashes.”Heal the Bay provides an online Beach Report Card with weekly water quality grades for more than 430 California beaches. For more information on beach conditions and closures, visit healthebay.org.
