LOS ANGELES - AUGUST 09: Warning signs keep bathers out of the water at the south end of Venice Beach on August 9, 2006 in Los Angeles, California. The closure of a two-mile stretch of beach near Ballona Creek, after a pumping station failure sent between 20,000 and 30,000 gallons of raw sewage into the ocean, is a common problem on many Los Angeles and Orange County beaches. According to a recently released study by the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) and Stanford University researches, pollution on Southern California beaches affects 1.5 million people each year. Reportedly, between 627,800 and 1,479,200 "excess" cases of gastrointestinal illness, generally associated with swimming in contaminated water, inflicts symptoms like stomach cramps, diarrhea and nausea. Healthcare costs for illnesses related to beach bacteria run from approximate $21 million to $414 millions a year. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)