Though recent headlines may suggest these problems are new, the reality is that bacterial contamination, ocean advisories, and beach closures have been worsening in recent years. It’s enough to make any beach-going Angeleno wonder: what’s going on, and is this something people should be worried about?

PFAS are so prevalent that they have polluted drinking water systems in all 50 states. Thankfully, despite industries’ best efforts to avoid regulation, we are finally seeing progress made to protect Americans from these dangerous forever chemicals.

One year after the Hyperion Water Treatment Plant released 12.5 million gallons of raw sewage, regulators have yet to levy penalties for the spill.