Southern California braces for another September heat wave after an extended streak of unseasonably high temperatures.
In Los Angeles, Los Angeles County issued more than 900 code-yellow water quality advisories and warnings, meaning levels of nitrate in water exceed the federal level for recreational use.
Officials across Southern California are bracing for another round of record-breaking temperatures in September. The latest round of blistering heat is likely to break all-time records for the month, according to The Associated Press.
Los Angeles County issued its first warning this year on Wednesday morning, warning of water-quality advisories and warnings in most areas of the county on their website.
The warning, which goes into effect at 9 a.m., warns of elevated nitrate levels in Lake Henshaw at the county’s Santa Clarita Reservoir, Lake South Basin at the Santa Susana Reservoir in Sylmar, Lake South Basin at the Ventura County Reservoir, and Lake South Basin at the San Gabriel River.
The warning was in effect for about five hours before the California Department of Public Health issued a second warning, warning that the levels of nitrate for public use could exceed a level of 3 parts per billion, which is not on public water supplies in Southern California. This is the first time Southern California has used an elevated nitrate level to warn people of possible high-level contamination.
The warning is for residents of Ventura, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino counties in Orange County, and Riverside County in Los Angeles County.
“Because the advisory is based on the levels of nitrate found in our water supplies in Southern California we want the public to know that they need to take immediate action to protect themselves and their families from exposure to nitrates,” said Tom Wiet, spokesman for the state Department of Public Health.
“The levels of nitrate in our water supplies exceed the standards for recreational use, and the levels of this contaminant can pose a health risk to young children and infants who are consuming this water.”
Wiet said the higher levels of nitrate that were recommended by the county can remain in water for months, making it
