Hundreds of sewage spills caused beach closures
PACIFIC OCEAN — Santa Monica’s beaches received mixed marks for the last year.
While bacteria levels generally improved, certain local trouble spots took a turn for the worse, according to an annual beach “report card” released Wednesday.
Perhaps the most troubling slide was at the end of Pico Boulevard, where water quality received an “F” during wet months and a “C” in dry months, after a miscommunica-tion between City Hall and county officials caused untreated runoff to flow directly into the ocean.
That was among the findings in the 14th annual Beach Report Card, released by Heal the Bay, a Santa Monica-based environmental group. Overall, the report found that dry weather beach quality was up slightly over average levels.
Wet weather bacteria levels stayed high, and officials still recommend staying out of the ocean for three days after every rainfall.
Swimming in dirty water even once can cause stomach flu, ear infections, upper respiratory infections and major skin rashes all over the body, they added.
From April 2002 to March 2004, there were more than 275 reported sewage spills, discharging more than 395,550 gallons of partially treated or raw sewage. But beaches in Los Angeles County were closed only twice due to the sewage spills, the report found.
Of the reported sewage spills, at least six spills were major, meaning more than 10,000 gallons went into the ocean. Officials were especially concerned about the four that didn’t lead to beach closures — three of which were in the Pacific Palisades and impacted Will Rogers State Beach. Heal the Bay officials said the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services decided to “wait and see” how bad the spill was rather than take a proactive approach and close the beach.
“There are two issues that must be addressed by the county,” the report reads. “First, as a public health protection measure, a more precautionary approach must be adopted when a spill has reached a water body and has the potential to impact the beach... and secondly, a meeting between public agencies involved with wastewater operations and stakeholders must take place immediately to revisit sewage spill action plans and public notification protocols...”
Not all the news was bad for Santa Monica. Thanks to a new runoff diversion project at Santa Monica Canyon, water quality during the dry months improved from a “D” in 2002-2003 to a “B” in 2003-2004, according to the Heal the Bay report card. Countywide, dry weather water quality was good. Of 77 locations monitored, 55 received very-good-to-excellent water quality marks.
Still, dry weather problems persisted at Malibu Surfrider Beach and Malibu Point, which received an “F.” Redondo Municipal Pier and Cabrillo Beach harborside, at the lifeguard tower, also failed to make the grade. Long Beach beaches at Molino Avenue and at 54th Place also received poor marks.
“Surfrider Beach’s water quality was very poor again this past year,” the Heal the Bay report card reads. “This year, Surfrider Beach was able to wrestle away the title of Los Angeles County’s most polluted beach from Cabrillo Beach, harbor side. Please be aware that if the Malibu Lagoon sand bar is breached, water contact at Surfrider Beach is likely to cause illness...”
Environmental groups are working actively to improve water quality and have secured millions of dollars to build new runoff diversion plants and get the ocean cleaner. Mark Gold, president of Heal the Bay, said he expects this summer to be the cleanest year on record.
Many surrounding communities look to Santa Monica as the example of how to keep their beaches clean. Located next to the Santa Monica Pier, the Santa Monica Urban Runoff Recycling Facility — or SMURRF — is seen as the leading model for filtering and disinfecting runoff.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 27, 2004. Read the original PDF.