New Smartphone App Locates Safe Local Beaches

People heading to Southland beaches can now use their smartphones to check on the quality of water they plan to swim in, thanks to a phone app announced today by the environmental coalition Waterkeeper Alliance.

The California Swim Guide is a free app that uses water quality monitoring data from government authorities and provides reports for more than 300 beaches in California and around North America. Nearly 50 Los Angeles County beaches are covered in the Swim Guide, including Surfrider Beach in Malibu and Venice Beach.

Waterkeeper Alliance, a network of 200 worldwide water protection groups, manages the app.

Users can view photos, read descriptions and report pollution to a local
Waterkeeper official. Users can also share information on social networks.

"The Swim Guide will provide beach goers with the up-to-date information that they need to locate and discover the closest and safest beaches along the L.A. County coastline,'' said Liz Crosson, a local Waterkeeper and Santa Monica Baykeeper executive director.

According to Waterkeeper Alliance, the app will continue to expand until
it covers beaches in every major city in North America.