The water at Central Coast beaches should be avoided over the next few days, the San Luis Obispo County Department of Public Health said on Monday.
Environmental Health Specialist Rich Lichtenfels said that his department advises people to avoid water contact for 72 hours after a rainstorm event.
"The reason we do that is because when it rains—especially the first heavy rains—these initial storms that come through do have a tendency to flush out the watershed areas and so any wildlife tokens travel downstream and then into the ocean," said Lichtenfels.
The ongoing drought exacerbates the problem, he said. He also said to expect advisories throughout the El Niño season, as water contamination could remain high with subsequent storms.