The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is cautioning residents who are planning to visit several Los Angeles County beaches near Dockweiler and El Segundo to be careful of swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean waters around discharging storm drains, creeks, and rivers.

Recent special ocean water sampling conducted by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Tuesday, July 27 determined that several beach areas near the Hyperion plant exceeded state standards for bacteria in water.

Note that no sewage is currently being discharged from the Hyperion plant into the ocean and ocean waters. Bacterial levels often fluctuate from day to day and can be impacted by recent rain events.

Lifeguards have posted yellow advisory signs and the Public Health Beach Water Quality webpage has been updated.

Affected beach areas include:

 – El Segundo Beach / Grand Avenue storm drain (Near Dockweiler Tower 60)

– Dockweiler State Beach:

• • Ballona Creek (Near Dockweiler Tower 40)
  • Culver Blvd storm drain
  • Hyperion Plant outfall
  • Imperial Highway storm drain (Dockweiler Tower 56)
  • Westchester storm drain
  • World Way extension

Additionally, Public Health team members have initiated door-to-door outreach to the community impacted by the plant’s odors and will continue this activity through Friday.

Other beaches also under advisory  include the below beach areas.

These advisories are very likely due to day-to-day fluctuations in ocean water bacteria levels. At this time, there is no reason to suspect these increases in beach water bacteria are due to the recent sewage discharge at Hyperion.

 – Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica

– Montana Ave. storm drain at Santa Monica Beach (Santa Monica North Tower 8)

– Wilshire Bl. storm drain at Santa Monica Beach (Santa Monica North Tower 12)

– Temescal Canyon storm drain at Will Rogers State Beach

– Avalon Beach at Catalina Island (50 feet east of the pier)