City to spend $350,000 to tackle pollution problems
By Daily Press Staff
Swimming near the Santa Monica Pier may not be a health hazard for much longer.
The city of Santa Monica has recieved $350,000 to clean up one of the most heavily polluted sections of Santa Monica Bay. The area around the pier is one of the worst pollution origins along the Los Angeles coastline; the Heal the Bay Beach Report has regularly given the pier a poor water quality rating.
To combat that, three state grants have been awarded to the city to curb urban runoff pollution from the city, safeguarding the health of beach-goers and the marine ecosystem. Urban runoff is the single greatest source of water pollution in the bay. In the past, urban runoff flowed untreated from the city’s streets into the Pacific Ocean. Now, cities are responding to the problem, and Santa Monica officials say the city is leading the way.
The poor rating from the Heal the Bay has continued despite the recent completion of the Santa Monica Urban Runoff Recycling Facility. The SMURRF treats up to 500,000 gallons per day of dry weather urban runoff flowing through the Pico-Kenter and pier storm drains, and reuses it for landscape irrigation and non-
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 24, 2001. Read the original PDF.