LOS ANGELES — Following six consecutive winter storms that have unleashed torrential rains throughout California, state officials cautioned the public not to play in stormwater. Flooding washes oils, chemicals, metals, trash and other debris into drainage systems and ultimately into bodies of stormwater. 

There’s also the possibility of sewage. Since New Year’s Eve, California has experienced 27 sewer overflows that released 4 million gallons of sewage into surface waters, State Water Resources Control Board Deputy Director of Water Quality, Karen Morgus, said Tuesday during a California Department of Water Resources winter storm briefing. 

While the lion’s share of sewer overflows have been in the San Francisco Bay Area, officials cautioned flooded waters contain pathogens, so kids should not be allowed to play in them. People who touch flooded waters should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water.