Southland beaches don't make the grade
SOUTHERN California beaches offer a little slice of heaven for true water hounds — regular sets of big, muscular waves for surfers, cool ocean breezes for kite boarders and windsurfers and long stretches of shallow water for flopping around on rafts and belly boards.
But nearly everyone who's ever swallowed a big mouthful of ocean water has wondered the same thing: What exactly is lurking in there — and what are the chances of getting sick from it?
The answer depends on the water quality at any given beach at any given time. This year, despite last winter's low rainfall, water quality at L.A. County beaches ranked among the worst in the state, brought down by particularly poor water quality in Long Beach, according to Mark Gold, executive director of the nonprofit environmental group Heal the Bay.
Heal the Bay issues a weekly "report card" for each beach, based on data assembled from more than 20 coastal health agencies.
