Overview
- Los Angeles County health officials issued ocean water warnings on Aug. 5, 2026 for areas around Venice Pier and Santa Monica Pier plus full swim areas at Mother’s Beach in Marina del Rey and Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro.
- The pier warnings cover 100 yards up and down the coastline from each structure and the smaller beaches were closed for their entire swim zones after samples exceeded state health standards.
- County testing led officials to lift a prior warning for the Wilshire Boulevard storm drain at Santa Monica Beach and nearby Redondo Beach samples have returned to within California standards.
- Officials link the contamination to fecal-associated bacteria carried by storm drains and urban runoff and cite a July sewage spill in nearby Orange County as heightened regional context while hot weather and larger crowds raise exposure risk.
- The county says it will continue rolling follow-up testing to lift or issue advisories and directs residents to the 24-hour beach hotline at 800-525-5662 or PublicHealth.LACounty.gov/Beach for real-time updates and safety guidance for vulnerable people.