Santa Monica Pier Ranks No. 2 for Chronic Pollution for 2nd Year as Honor Roll Beaches Fall to 21
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 23
Santa Monica Pier Ranks No. 2 for Chronic Pollution for 2nd Year as Honor Roll Beaches Fall to 21
7 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 23
Santa Monica Pier placed second on Heal the Bay’s 2026 “Beach Bummers” list, marking its second straight year at No. 2 and its fifth consecutive year among California’s most polluted beaches.
Heal the Bay tied the ranking to fecal pollution, urban runoff, bacteria hotspots and aging infrastructure, saying stormwater upgrades and bird-deterrent netting brought only temporary water-quality gains before bacteria levels rose again.
The pier has landed on the chronic-pollution list 15 times in the past 21 years, and Heal the Bay said it is working with the City of Santa Monica in a task force to identify the source and recommend fixes.
Health risks remain central to the report: fecal bacteria can cause illness after a single exposure, and waters around the pier were under a public-health advisory last year because of elevated bacteria levels.
Across California, only 21 beaches made Heal the Bay’s Honor Roll this year, down from 62 last year, underscoring broader concern about storm-impacted and chronically polluted coastal waters.
Why did the number of California's cleanest beaches plummet by over 60 percent in just one year?
With known solutions available, why does chronic pollution continue to plague California's most famous beaches year after year?