The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) annual report, "Testing the Waters," looks at U.S. beach water quality.
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California waters are not getting any cleaner.
"Unfortunately beach water quality got worse the last year compared with 2009," said Noah Garrison with the Natural Resources Defense Council. "And the number of closing and advisory days at our beaches nearly doubled."
He said what's in the polluted ocean stew are pathogens and other harmful bacteria.
"The implications of swimming in contaminated water are that people come down with skin rashes, pink eye, stomach ailments, gastroenteritis, ear, nose and throat problems and respiratory ailments," said Garrison. "There's a host of illnesses and diseases that are associated with swimming in contaminated water."
Garrison said several San Diego County beaches from the Mexican border to Camp Pendleton were closed because of pollution last year.
But he said 20 county beaches had no closings or pollution advisory days in 2010, including Pacific Beach and Carlsbad Municipal Beach.
Garrison said stopping the pollution at its source, which means storm water runoff in San Diego, can help reduce the toxic mix finding its way to the ocean.
California ranked 22nd out of 30 coastal states (including the Great Lakes Region) in the NRDC report.