Bacteria Abounds At Popular Peninsula Beach: Report

PACIFICA, CA — The Bay Area beach known for its iconic seaside Taco Bell Cantina is also home to a less-than-welcome visitor — copious levels of fecal bacteria.

According to KTVU, most water tests performed this year at Pacifica's Linda Mar beach have found elevated levels of enterococcus, a bacteria that can lead to urinary tract infections, rashes, or mild respiratory issues.

Heal the Bay, a nonprofit that assigns letter grades to California beaches based on levels of fecal bacterial pollution, most recently assigned Linda Mar an "F" rating, and data collected Monday by San Mateo County Health showed enterococcus levels in the water higher than state safety standards.

Heal the Bay says people who come in contact with water with a C grade or lower are at a greater risk of contracting illnesses such as stomach flu, ear infections, upper respiratory infections and rashes.

As KTVU reports, Surfrider volunteers have detected enterococcus levels exceeding standards for human contact at least eight times this year, though tests further out into the ocean found levels closer to the safe range. The bacteria live in animals' intestinal tracts and their presence can indicate contamination from fecal waste, but also could be the result of stormwater runoff, wastewater and other wildlife waste.

>> Read more via KTVU.