Scary Water Facts- Los Angeles edition

On this Halloween, Environment California has compiled a list of scary water facts from Los Angeles. Did you know:

1. Santa Monica State Beach ranks as one of the dirtiest beaches in the state, often exposing swimmers to dangerous bacteria that can lead to infections and sickness.
2. The water at San Pedro’s Inner Cabrillo Beach saw unsafe levels of pollutants on 44% of days tested according to our Safe for Swimming report in 2023.
3. The Port of Los Angeles has illegally polluted the San Pedro Bay. Their ineffective water treatment system has allowed high levels of heavy metal, fecal material, and untreated stormwater into the ocean. 
4. Untreated runoff is dangerous to swimmers, exposing them to harmful chemicals and bacterias. It is also damaging to the local habitats as the toxins have negative impacts on the health and development of marine ecosystems
5. Even the beach sand across LA has been found with fecal bacteria, including E Coli. 
6. DDT dump sites have been located at multiple locations off the Southern California coast. Thousands of barrels of these toxic chemicals were dumped in the waters off of Catalina Island and other deep sea locations that have harmful effects on marine life even today.
7. Lead is still being found in the tap water of schools in Los Angeles, and statewide.. This contamination can lead to serious health issues and is especially dangerous to children. A recent study found that globally lead exposure is costing children 765 million IQ points a year.

Now is the time for action for clean water in Los Angeles!