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Heading to the beach for Independence Day weekend? Don’t go into these bacteria-tainted waters
The beach at the Santa Monica Pier.
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Apu Gomes
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AFP via Getty Images
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Topline:
If you’re spending the Fourth of July holiday weekend on the coastline, you’ll want to think twice before jumping in the water. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has put out an ocean water use warning for more than a dozen beaches, limiting where people can swim.
Why the warning? The department collects ocean water samples once a week throughout the year. The warning is put out when a site has exceeded state standards for ocean water bacteria. Signs are also posted at the affected areas to notify beachgoers.
Where are they? The locations include parts of Topanga County Beach, Escondido State Beach and Zuma Beach. Much of the advisory is focused around not swimming near storm drains, public restrooms, lagoons, piers, and creeks. Some areas, like Malibu and Santa Monica, have multiple spots in the advisory.
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Get the full list: You can get the latest on the locations by calling the county's beach closure hotline at (800) 525-5662. You can also check out the map below (affected areas are in yellow):
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