SANTA MONICA — Santa Monica beaches scored exceptionally in Heal The Bay’s annual water quality report card released on June 30.
With the exception of the Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica beaches received all A’s and A+’s during dry summer and winter days. During wet winter days, all beaches received an F, except for Will Rogers State Beach at the Bel Air Bay Club, which received a C.
The low grades received during wet winter days are explained in Heal the Bay’s report card, which reads, “Rain flushes contaminants and pollution, including bacteria from our streets directly into the ocean through storm drains, rivers, and streams…untreated stormwater decreases water quality by increasing the amount of pathogens in the ocean to potentially unsafe levels.”
| Beach | Dry Summer Days | Dry Winter Days | Wet Winter Days |
| Santa Monica Beach at Montana Ave | A | A | F |
| Santa Monica Beach at Pico-Kenter storm drain | A | A | F |
| Santa Monica Beach at Strand St. | A+ | A | F |
| Santa Monica Beach at Wilshire Blvd. | A | A | F |
| Santa Monica Pier | B | D | F |
| Will Rogers State Beach at Pulga Canyon storm drain | A+ | A | F |
| Will Rogers State Beach at Santa Monica Canyon | A | A | F |
| Will Rogers State Beach at Bel Air Bay Club | A | A | C |
Although Los Angeles County had three beaches on this year’s honor roll, none of Santa Monica’s beaches made the exclusive list requiring weekly water quality monitoring and all A+.
Last year, Santa Monica Pier made it off the Beach Bummer list, which ranks the ten worst water quality beaches, and has since avoided the list again this year. Heal the Bay wrote in their report that Santa Monica Pier had no significant increase or decrease in water quality over the past year.
The only beach in Los Angeles to be included on the Beach Bummer list this year was Topanga Beach at Creek Outlet, which received an F for summer dry days.
Los Angeles County as a whole did well, but still remained slightly below average with 91% of beaches receiving A’s and B’s for summer dry days, but poorly on winter wet days where 42% received A’s and B’s, which is average for the county. Also included in LA County’s report were the 68 sewage spills that released 148,276 gallons of sewage into bodies of water.
The report praised open beaches (beaches with no obstruction between the beach and the water) citing 98% of open beaches receiving A’s and B’s for summer dry days. Out of the 42 honor roll beaches, 18 of them were open beaches.
Heal the Bay also announced that over the past 30 years of water quality testing, grades on average have increased with a significant positive trend.
