FALLING GRADES FOR BEACHES; STUDY SHOWS RISING POLLUTION LEVELS AT L.A. COASTAL REGIONS.

Byline: Deborah Sullivan Daily News Staff Writer

Los Angeles beaches are less healthy this year than they have been the previous four years - and yes, you can blame El Nino, according to the eighth annual ``Beach Report Card'' issued Thursday by the nonprofit organization Heal the Bay.

The report card grades the Southland's beaches from A to F based on the number of days they exceed safe bacterial levels. High levels raise the risk of skin rashes, stomach ailments and respiratory illnesses for swimmers, surfers and divers.

``What we were really looking at was the number of A's has gone down dramatically,'' said Heal the Bay Executive Director Mark Gold.

``This year that's largely due to El Nino. But what I think it demonstrates is that the region, the cities and the counties are not adequately addressing the fecal pollution levels in the storm drains.''

The group grades 61 beaches, using bacterial monitoring data collected by the city of Los Angeles, the County Health Department and the County Sanitation Districts.

This year, only 35 of 61 beaches received A grades during dry weather, compared to an average of 48 A-rated beaches over the previous four-year period.

And the lengthy wet season resulting from El Nino took a toll on beach safety, as relentless storms washed millions of gallons of sewage into Los Angeles coastal waters during 17 sewage spills.

As a result, only three beaches received A grades during wet weather, while 56 received grades ranging from C to F. By comparison, an average of 22 beaches a year received wet-weather A's during the previous four years.

Gold said these dismal scores underscore how important it is for residents to clear their yards of pet waste that can wash into storm water systems during rains, and to avoid treating their yards with fertilizer or pesticides during rainy seasons.

Heal the Bay also cautioned that the findings of high pollution levels during wet weather reinforce the county's recommendation to stay out of the water for three days after storms. And they said the city must proceed with long-delayed plans to divert storm-water runoff into sewage systems during rains.

``The high levels of rainwater and storm water during this El Nino winter remind us of the need to improve our infrastructure and our pollution prevention measures so we can reduce the sewage spills and bacterial contamination that reach the bay through our storm drain system,'' said Karen Caesar, spokeswoman for the Regional Water Quality Control Board.

However, she added, ``It's important to remind the public that our beaches are safe for swimming during dry weather as long as people don't swim near storm drains.''

City sanitation officials could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Heal the Bay announced that it will be issuing beach report cards on a weekly basis and will make them available in Spanish.

The report cards are reported on the Weather Channel and on the organization's Web site at www.healthebay.org.

Jazzmyn McDonald, 5, of Sylmar, plays with a toy boat at Topanga State Beach on Thursday. A report by the nonprofit environmental group Heal the Bay warns of rising pollution levels at Los Angeles County beaches.

Gus Ruelas/Daily News

Map: Beaches make the grade

CAPTION(S):

Photo, map