County Posts Warning Signs on Beach for High Bacteria Level
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High bacteria counts have prompted Orange County health officials to post signs advising people to stay out of the water along a 2 1/2-mile stretch of Huntington Beach.
The signs--from the mouth of the Santa Ana River to lifeguard tower No. 11--will stay up at least through Thursday, said Larry Honeybourne, program chief of the Orange County Health Care Agency.
“Our recommendation is that you don’t go swimming there,” Honeybourne said.
The source of the contamination has not been identified, he said, adding that it could be associated with runoff from storm drains.
In recent weeks, large sections of the beach--including this one--had been closed because authorities feared that the elevated bacteria counts may have been due to leaks in the area’s sewer system.
Now that sewage has been ruled out as the source, Honeybourne said, the high bacteria readings are marked by posting signs rather than closing the beach. “The sanitation district has not found any evidence of sewage,” he said, “and we do not believe that sewage is a component.”
Tougher state standards for ocean water went into effect in July, making contamination warnings far more common.
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