How Clean Is The Water?

The Legal Level of Bacteria Before the Beach is Posted is 104

Test date: October 10, 2006

Time of test: 7 a.m.

Conditions: Non-rain

Beach	Bacteria Level	Beach	Bacteria Level
Aliso	0*	Main	0*
Anita	10	Moss	20
Bluebird-North	0*	Pearl	0*
Bluebird-South	0*	Rockpile	0*
Brooks	0*	Shaw’s Cove	0*
Crescent Bay	0*	Sleepy Hollow	63
Cress	0*	St. Anne’s	63
Diver’s Cove	0*	Thalia	0*
Emerald Bay	0*	Treasure Island	0*
Fisherman’s Cove	0*	Three Arch Bay--Middle	529

0* represents an undetectable enterococcus bacteria level of less than 10.

DID YOU KNOW: Polluted runoff causes high and unsafe bacteria levels at the beach during rain events. The County may not test or post warning signs at beaches during these periods. For your health and safety, stay out of the water for 3 days after the rain stops.

Storm Drain	Bacteria Level	Storm Drain	Bacteria Level
Aliso--Runoff	20	Victoria--Runoff	20
Main-Runoff	10

WHAT PARENTS DON’T KNOW: Shallow waters leading to the ocean are often runoff waters from storm drains, as shown above. These areas, like the shallow area at Aliso Creek, look like great places for small children to play. These waters can be highly contaminated and should not be considered safe places to swim.

These tests were conducted by the students in the Laguna Beach High School Surfrider Club.

Winner of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2006 Environmental Achievement Award