About

How it works

After a real rain, Orange County Health Care Agency advises staying out of the ocean for at least 72 hours, because storm runoff carries bacteria to the beach. The county doesn't publish an end date, so we estimate one.

Every hour we pull rain observed at nearby weather stations and the National Weather Service forecast. When enough rain falls, we start a 72-hour clock from the last real rain. In past seasons the county usually lifted advisories on the first weekday morning after those 72 hours, so our estimate follows that pattern. Forecast rain can restart the clock, which is why every estimate comes with a confidence level.

Where the data comes from

Rain observations and forecasts come from the National Weather Service (api.weather.gov). We checked the method against three seasons of official advisory history from the State Water Board's BeachWatch data before building anything.

Why not Los Angeles?

Los Angeles County publishes an end date with its rain advisories, so you don't need an estimate there.

Why not San Diego (yet)?

San Diego surfers can check sdwaterwatch.com. San Onofre's Old Man's and Trestles are planned.

Contact

Questions, corrections or sponsorships: hello@nopoopinwater.com

Terms of use

Estimate only. Not official health guidance. Not affiliated with any government agency. Check official status before entering the water. Provided by Move With LLC as-is.