Swimmers may want to think twice before jumping in the water at several local beaches.
The Los Angeles times is reporting that health testing at California beaches has fallen to its lowest level in over a decade.
Since 2005, the number of annual tests for bacteria has dropped by nearly half, leaving swimmers, surfers and divers at risk of exposure to contaminated water.
According to the LA Times,
Beaches from San Diego to the Bay Area are being tested less often and in fewer locations; some are going untested for months at a time. Statewide, the number of annual tests for bacteria has dropped by nearly half since 2005, according to a Times analysis of state records.
Officials say state budget cuts are a key factor in the scaled back testing. In Long Beach, 40% of beach sites are no longer being tested, Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro is down 80% and 65% in Santa Monica, the Times reported.
According to state reports, the Trestles surf break in San Onofre State Beach was tested only four times last year, compared to nearly 70 times in 2005.
California passed a law in 1999 that requires health officials to test at least once a week during the summer beach season. If bacteria levels are too high, lifeguards post signs warning swimmers of the risk.
