Santa Monica Pier area among the dirtiest beaches for 10th year in a row in Beach Report Card

Researchers with Heal the Bay named the Santa Monica Pier area one of California’s dirtiest beaches for the 10th consecutive year. The annual Beach Report Card measures fecal pollution along the West Coast from Baja California to Washington. Testing focuses on fecal contamination because even a single exposure can cause illness, including rashes, ear and upper respiratory infections, and gastrointestinal problems. Heal the Bay and Santa Monica formed a task force to determine pollution causes. Among 490 monitored beaches from 2025 to 2026, the dirtiest top 10 included multiple locations across several counties. Santa Monica has upgraded stormwater capture systems and installed bird-deterring netting, yet the Pier area still appears on the list.

"For the 10th consecutive year, the area around the Santa Monica Pier was named one of California's dirtiest beaches by researchers with the environmental nonprofit Heal the Bay. Heal the Bay has partnered with Santa Monica to form a task force dedicated to determining the cause of the pollution."

"The annual Beach Report Card examines the amount of fecal pollution measured along the West Coast from Baja California all the way up to the state of Washington. Researchers test for fecal pollution because "even a single exposure can result in illness." Ailments include rashes, ear and upper respiratory infections and gastrointestinal illness, according to the report."

""No one should get sick from a weekend in our waters," Heal the Bay Chief Executive Tracy Quinn said in a prepared statement. "These findings are a reminder that water quality isn't just a report, it's a public health issue that affects every beachgoer and river user across California.""

"Of the 490 beaches that Heal the Bay monitored between 2025 and 2026, the top 10 dirtiest also included six in San Mateo County, one in San Diego County and another in Humboldt County. The Santa Monica Pier, specially north of Pico and south of Wilshire boulevards, remains the only Los Angeles County beach to make Heal the Bay's list despite the city's recent infrastructure improvements."

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