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Water Quality

658 testing sites · California, Oregon and Washington · updated daily

Health departments and Surfrider volunteers test the water at beaches for bacteria that come from sewage, runoff and animal waste. This map grades every test from A to F and keeps each site’s history, so you can see whether today’s number is normal for that beach. Tap a dot for the full history.

ACleanBGoodCClose to the limitDOver the safe limitFFar over the safe limitHollow dot: last test over 30 days old

Over the limit now

Sites whose latest test, taken in the last 14 days, was over the safe limit.

Every testing site

Grouped by county or state. An orange date means the latest test is over 30 days old; many sites are tested less often in winter.

East Bay Parks District County8 sites
Humboldt County5 sites
Long Beach City County15 sites
Los Angeles County80 sites
Marin County26 sites
Mendocino County5 sites
Monterey County14 sites
Orange County183 sites
Oregon26 sites
San Diego County102 sites
San Francisco County20 sites
San Luis Obispo County19 sites
San Mateo County39 sites
Santa Barbara County16 sites
Santa Cruz County32 sites
Sonoma County7 sites
Ventura County40 sites
Washington21 sites

How the grades work

Each test is graded on its worst bacteria count as a share of the state’s safe limit for a single test. A is a quarter of the limit or less, B is half or less, C is under the limit, D is over it, and F is more than 10 times over. These are Nautical Nick’s grades, built on the official limits; they are not a county’s ruling. When a county posts an advisory or closure, its own sign is the final word.

Sources: the California State Water Board’s statewide beach test results (posted 1 to 3 weeks after sampling), San Diego County’s own sample reports (posted within days), Surfrider Foundation Blue Water Task Force volunteer tests in Oregon and Washington, and National Weather Service rain totals at nearby airports.