> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Pier beach gets poor rating - URL: https://www.smdp.com/pier-beach-gets-poor-rating/ - Published: 2007-08-10T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T02:33:04.000Z - Author: Kevin Herrera - Tags: Environment, Pier, #archive-import *LA County water is worst in state* SM BEACH The water around the Santa Monica Pier has once again been rated as some of the most polluted in the state by an environmental watchdog that is suing the federal government to enact more stringent health standards when it comes to monitoring the nation’s beaches and lakes. The Natural Resources Defense Council called Santa Monica State Beach at the pier a “beach bum,” along with Avalon Beach on Santa Catalina Island and several locations in Long Beach, because those sites failed to meet national health standards more than half of the time, putting beach-goers at risk of developing gastroenteritis, dysentery, hepatitis, respiratory ailments and other serious health problems. Santa Monica’s Heal the Bay also found the pier beach to be one of its “beach bummers” in its 2006 beach report card. The reason why LA County had some of the worst water quality grades in the state, according to Heal the Bay, was because the county was one of the first in California to modify their monitoring program to collect samples directly in front of flowing storm drains and creeks. Overall, the NRDC report “Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches” found that beach closings and warnings due to bacterial contamination hit a near-record high in Los Angeles County last year, despite drought conditions that reduced urban runoff — the main cause of polluted beach water. The report, now in its 17th year, uses data collected from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a peer-reviewed methodology to tally the number of “no-swim days” caused by urban runoff or overflowing sewage systems. The report tallied 2,072 closing and health advisory days in 2006 for LA County beaches, the second highest since statewide testing standards began seven years ago. “Families shouldn’t be worried about keeping the kids out of the water so they don’t get sick,”said David Beckman, a senior attorney with the NRDC and the director of its California Coastal Water Quality Program. “But too often, unfortunately, that’s the case.” Aging and poorly designed sewage and storm water systems were largely to blame for the high number of closures, the report found. Unmitigated urban sprawl that continues to overwhelm wetlands and other natural barriers, such as dunes and beach grass, which help filter hazardous pollutants, was also cited. “We can fix leaky pipes; we can require coastal developers to maintain vegetation to absorb rain,” said Nancy Stoner, director of the NRDC’s Clean Water Project. “The solutions are out there.” The NRDC pointed to the Santa Monica Main Library as an example of the type of “smarter building” that needs to take place to protect the environment. The library, which opened in 2006, received a LEED Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council for its eco-friendly design, which includes a water management system that captures, filters and holds 200,000 gallons of rainwater in a cistern, keeping it from overwhelming the city storm water system. The stored water is used to irrigate the library’s garden. The report warns that the number of closures could be greater if water quality standards are upgraded. Currently, water quality standards are 20 years old and rely on obsolete monitoring standards and outdated science that leave beach-goers vulnerable, officials with NRDC said. This forced NRDC to file a lawsuit against the EPA a year ago after officials with the agency missed a deadline to comply with revised standards approved by Congress in 2000\. The NRDC suit seeks to force the EPA to adopt protective standards on a tighter schedule. A court recently ruled that the EPA violated the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act and is setting a schedule for compliance, officials with the NRDC said. Mendocino County has the highest percentage of monitored beaches with no closures, while Los Angeles County had the most. “Beachgoers should use this report to inform themselves about the quality of water at local beaches,” said Michelle Mehta, an attorney with the NRDC. “Choose your beach wisely. “If there is any doubt, or if the water smells bad or looks dirty, stay out of it.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 10, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/081007.pdf?ref=smdp.com)