ARTICLE 6. Ocean Water-Contact Sports [116070. - 116090.]

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC 6.

in effect

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 116070. Section 116070.

As used in this article, water-contact sport means any sport in which the body of a person comes into physical contact with water, including but not limited to swimming, surfboarding, paddleboarding, skin diving, and water-skiing. It does not include boating or fishing.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 116075. Section 116075.

The department has supervision of sanitation, healthfulness, and safety of the public beaches and public water-contact sport areas of the ocean waters and bays of the state and, except as provided in Section 18930, the department may make and enforce regulations pertaining thereto as it deems proper.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 116080. Section 116080.

Regulations made pursuant to this article shall include suitable standards of safe bacteria count for water-contact sports areas specified by the State Water Pollution Control Board or regional water pollution control boards, which standards shall be applied to all public water-contact sport areas of the ocean waters and bays of the state.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 116085. Section 116085.

Every person who violates any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to this article is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 116090. Section 116090.

Nothing contained in this article shall be construed to give the department the authority to fix the areas wherein water-contact sports may be engaged in or to affect the authority of the State Water Pollution Control Board or regional water pollution control boards to fix appropriate areas for various uses.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026