Its safe to go into the water, according to a new health report card for Californias beaches, the vast coastal playground for millions who dig in the sand, swim, surf and dive.
Most beaches in the San Francisco Bay region won excellent marks, based on the risk of adverse health effects to beachgoers from bacteria pollution levels in the surf zone.
Heal the Bay, the Santa Monica watchdog of Golden State beaches, issued the report card Wednesday, hailing a fine year for swimming and boating.
“If you go to Bay Area beaches, you were generally swimming in the best water quality in recent years,” said James Alamillo, a Heal the Bay spokesman.
Both bayside and oceanside beaches can be used regularly “because water quality is very good to excellent at these sites,” he said. The caveat was to avoid beaches during rainstorms – and at least three days afterward – because of filthy runoff from creeks and sometimes sewage plants.
In the Bay Area, 98 percent of ocean beaches had A or A grades. For bayside users, 86 percent received an A or a B. A is excellent, B good, C fair, D poor and F failing.
