San Mateo County Has Six Polluted 'Beach Bummers': Study

SAN MATEO COUNTY — Going to the beach is meant to be a fun outdoor activity, but bacterial pollution can turn a fun day in the sun into a health risk that causes to illnesses like stomach flu, ear infections, respiratory infections and rashes.

Each year, the not-for-profit environmental group Heal The Bay assigns letter grades (from A-F) to beaches along California's coastline. The grades are determined by the levels of bacterial pollution found in the ocean at each beach.

While Heal The Beach said 92 percent of the 500 California beaches studied received an A or B grades for summer, six of San Mateo County's beaches ended up on its "Beach Bummers" list with failing scores.

In its 2019-2020 Beach Score Card, the environmental group identified Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, three locations in Pillar Point Harbor, Erckenbrack Park in Foster City and Linda Mar at San Pedro Creek as failing beaches.

In the 2019-2020 report, Fitzerald Marine Reserve was Heal The Beach's number one Beach Bummer. Appearing for the first time on the Bummer list, Fitzgerald Marine Reserve usually has good water quality in the summers. This year's ranking is affected by dry water runoff from the San Vicente Creek, Heal The Beach reports.

Third on the Beach Bummer list, and second-most polluted beach in San Mateo County, was Pillar Point Harbor at Capistrano Avenue. Heal The Harbor reports several stormwater drains deliver pollutants into the harbor, and seawalls keep pollutants contained near the beach.

Foster City at Erckenbrack Park is fourth on the Beach Bummer list and the third most polluted beach in the county. The environmental group said this is the first time the beach has appeared on the Beach Bummer list, but the area has a record of poor water quality. The beach is enclosed in a patchwork of channels that gather runoff from nearby housing and commercial developments.

Pillar Point Harbor Beach is sixth on the Beach Bummer list and the fourth most polluted beach in San Mateo County. Heal The Beach's report said the entire harbor was more polluted than usual this year.

Linda Mar Beach at San Pedro Creek is seventh in the Beach Bummer report and fifth in the county for pollution. Dry weather runoff flows untreated into the ocean via San Pedro Creek, Heal The Beach reports.

Tenth on the Beach Bummer list and sixth most polluted in the county is Pillar Point Harbor at Westpoint Avenue. Like with Linda Mar Beach, dry weather runoff flowing into the enclosed harbor causes "significant water quality problems," according to the report.

"We know that our work is far from over," Heal the Bay CEO and President Shelley Luce wrote in the report card. "With the numbers of people depending on the ocean for their recreation and livelihoods increasing, it is more important than ever to protect our water quality and our beaches."

San Mateo County officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This story could be udpated.

Patch reporter Jeff Arnold contributed to this report.