O.C. Agency Clears Part of Coast for Swimming

The Orange County Health Care Agency on Thursday cut by 60% the area along the Huntington Beach coast where signs warning of contaminated water were posted the previous day.

But officials continued to advise people to stay out of the remaining 40%, about 4,000 feet of ocean from 500 feet north of Newland Avenue to 500 feet south of Magnolia Street. There were no predictions on when remaining signs would come down.

Richard Bernard, a spokesman for Huntington Beach, said preliminary studies show that enterococcus bacteria, the cause of the contamination, could be coming from the Talbert Marsh and the Santa Ana River.

The results of the studies are being reviewed. Stanley Grant, a UC Irvine associate professor of chemical and biochemical engineering who heads one of the studies, said he could not comment until the peer review is completed, which is expected by mid-August.

Monica Mazur, a county environmental health specialist, said that in addition to the marsh and the river, researchers are looking at the ocean soil and the beach sand as potential sources of contamination.

“Researchers are putting data together and sharing information so they understand the big picture,” she said.

The warning signs did keep most people out of the water, lifeguards said.

Not everyone, though. Lifeguard Chris Ward said he had to get wet to rescue a swimmer.

Was he worried?

“It’s part of the job,” he said.

Besides the Huntington Beach contamination, a small spill Wednesday kept the Dana Point Harbor closed to swimmers. About five gallons of sewage spilled into the harbor from the Harbor Patrol building, Mazur said. Mostly, the closure affected underwater boat cleaners.

Organizers of a pro surfing competition set to start Wednesday near the Huntington Beach pier, just north of the original contamination area, said they are prepared to move the event if necessary.

The Bluetorch Pro competition is one of two World Championship Tour stops in the mainland U.S.

Ian Cairns, vice president of events for Broadband Interactive Group, the event coordinator for the contest, said organizers were looking at beaches in southern Orange County and Los Angeles and San Diego counties if the contamination spreads. The pier is about a mile from the contamination area.

However, he did not expect that to happen. “We’re getting way in front of ourselves,” Cairns said. “I’m not an alarmist. I’m an optimist.”

He said that if the contamination reaches the pier, the event could be postponed until the water clears or the contest could move to a nearby spot. “You pick up your clipboard and take your surfers and go up the beach,” he said.

Last summer about 4 miles of the beach was fouled for more than two months, a financial hardship for businesses that rely on beach tourism. Huntington State Beach alone saw a drop of at least $250,000 in revenue, state officials said.

As a result of that closure, city and county officials are spending nearly $1 million to divert 2.5 million gallons of runoff a day away from the coastline to a sewage treatment plant.

Urban runoff, which is suspected of causing the contamination, results from such sources as animal feces, fertilizers and many of the products of modern life being flushed through storm drains into the ocean.

“Urban runoff is going to be solved when all of us who live within 50 miles of the beach steward our coastal environment better,” said Chris Evans, executive director of the Surfrider Foundation.