Community Corner

LB Beaches Receive Low Ratings for Water Quality

A national organization rates the water quality of popular beaches in Long Beach and Belmont Shore.

The Natural Resources Defense Council recently released its annual guide to water quality at popular vacation beaches across the United States, including beaches in Belmont Shore and Long Beach.

The beach ratings, ranging from one to five stars, judged beaches based on a number of factors including frequency of water testing and proper noticing of the public when bacteria levels in the water exceeded health standards.

Only 13 beaches across the nation received 5-star ratings, with four in Orange County. Five-star beaches received the high marks for strong water testing standards as well as low bacteria violation rates.

The local beaches did not fare as well, with all beaches in the Long Beach city limits only scoring two out of five stars. Those beaches include:

  • 5th Place Beach | 2/5 Stars
  • 10th Place Beach | 2/5 Stars
  • Long Beach at Coronado Avenue | 2/5 Stars
  • Long Beach at Granada Avenue | 2/5 Stars
  • Long Beach at Molino Avenue | 2/5 Stars
  • Long Beach at Prospect Avenue | 2/5 Stars
  • Long Beach - West Side of Belmont Pier | 2/5 Stars
Beaches graded by the organization received one star for each of the following criteria met:
  1. Local officials post advisories without re-sampling.
  2. Closings/advisories posted online and at beach.
  3. Less than five percent of water samples exceeded national standards in 2010, 2011, and 2012.
  4. Less than five percent of water samples exceeded national standards in 2012
  5. Water quality monitored more than once a week
While the local beaches inside Alamitos Bay were not given a rating, the NRDC did note that those beaches are monitored once per week and 16 percent of samples exceeded state standards last year.

To see more beach ratings in Los Angeles County and across the nation, visit the Natural Resources Defense Council's website.






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