Beach advisory in place at Monterey Municipal Beach and Lovers Point Beach

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION) -- A beach advisory is in place is at Monterey Municipal Beach and Lovers Point Beach after high levels of bacteria were found in samples taken Tuesday.

The advisory will remain in effect until samples indicate that the bacteria are at a safe level for recreational water contact according to state guidelines.

County officials say higher levels of bacteria could increase the potential risk of illness. They are following the California Code of Regulations which sets certain bacterial standards for ocean water at beaches that are visited by more than 50,000 people annually and located adjacent to a storm drain that flows during the summer.

They say rainfall is associated with increased bacterial levels due to runoff particularly in the area of man-made and natural storm drains such as culverts, streams, and rivers. However, there are other sources of bacteria that can come from marine life as well as human activity.

For more information on Monterey Peninsula Beaches, you can call the Hotline at (831)-755-4599 or visit their website here.