No Swimming, Surfing Off LA, OC Waters After Storm

PLAYA VISTA (CBSLA) – Officials in Los Angeles and Orange counties are asking people to stay out of the ocean waters through the weekend due to urban runoff from Wednesday and Thursday's storm.

Because of the elevated discharge of bacteria, chemicals, debris and trash during the rainfall, the L.A. County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) and the O.C. Health Care Agency have issued rain advisories, asking swimmers and surfers to stay out of the ocean waters for at least three days.

The runoff from city streets is likely to have gotten into storm drains, creeks and rivers, which then dumps into the ocean, contaminating the water, LACDPH reports.

LACDPH advises the public to stay out of the water through at least 7 a.m. Sunday. The advisory may be extended if the region gets more rainfall Saturday.

Meanwhile, people in the Playa Vista area may see more trash than normal floating in the ocean. A net designed to catch trash in Ballona Creek is broken, which has sent mounds of trash floating into the coastal waters.

The office of L.A. City Councilman Mike Bonin, who represents the area, confirmed to CBS2 Thursday that it aware the net is broken and is working to contact the manufacturer in order to get it repaired.

It's unclear exactly how long the net has been broken. The local nonprofit environmental group Friends of the Jungle sent CBS2 photos from previous storms showing piles of trash floating in the creek and on the banks.

For the latest beach updates and closures in L.A. County call 1-800-525-5662 or click here. For the latest updates in O.C. call 714-433-6400 or click here.