H2…UH-OH! Urban Runoff Pollution Creates A ‘Toxic Soup’ in OC’s Waters

Because of Southern California’s unique coastal terrain, every Orange County resident and business exists in one of the 13 local watersheds, a geographic area of land that drains water to a shared destination.

While most people associate seawater contamination with “point source” issues, such as sewage or accidental industrial spills, the majority of Orange County’s urban runoff pollution actually originates from disparate “non-point” sources of runoff. Every day, the bacteria, pesticides, chemicals and other byproducts of upstream agricultural, industrial, commercial, and residential activities combine with excess water, creating urban runoff pollution that flows through the local watersheds and directly to the Pacific Ocean.

The resulting “toxic soup” created by urban runoff pollution has become the leading threat to the quality and safety of Orange County’s coastal waters, creating dangerous, and potentially fatal, health risks to beachgoers. In fact, health authorities regularly issue advisories, encouraging beachgoers avoid local waters due to elevated bacteria levels for up to three days, after just 1/10th of an inch of rainfall.

Under California law and US EPA requirements, local agencies routinely collect and analyze water samples, from designated sites along Orange County’s shorelines, for indicators that signal the presence of potentially disease-causing organisms (pathogens). In addition to various bacteria associated with fecal matter, banned pesticides and chemicals, including DDT and PCBs, as well as several metals, such as copper, lead, mercury and zinc, are also found in Orange County’s coastal waters.

Epidemiology studies have shown that swimming in waters with significant bacteria indicators can increase a person’s risk for developing a range of illnesses, from stomach flu to ear or upper respiratory infections, as well as potentially life-threatening staph infections. In February 2009, University of Miami researchers estimated that ocean swimmers had a 1-in-3 chance of being exposed to staph organisms – even in waters without any direct sewage pollution source.

Orange County business leader John Moody is all too familiar with the potential health risks from local waters. In 2001, he was hospitalized after staph-infected seawater invaded his body through a tiny scratch on his arm while he was teaching his kids how to surf. Upon his recovery, Moody was inspired to start the Miocean Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping preserve and protect Orange County’s coastal waters.

By partnering with local counties, cities, water districts, and non-governmental organizations, Miocean has helped make measurable improvements in preserving and protecting Orange County's coastline, making our local waters safer for all.

Since its establishment, Miocean has committed millions of dollars to curb the harmful effects of urban runoff pollution. Among the foundation’s notable successes to date: working with the City of Newport Beach and the California Department of Fish and Game to create the new Back Bay Science Center and Laboratory, a $6 million campus with a state-of-the-art ocean testing laboratory and educational facilities.

Miocean also helped establish a run-off diversion system that removes an average of 6 tons of litter and debris annually from the North Creek / Doheny Beach area, and was instrumental in the installation of state-of-the-art water treatment plants at Salt Creek-Monarch Bay and Poche Beach in San Clemente. The nonprofit also is actively identifying and supporting several additional critical water improvement projects along Orange County’s 42-mile coastline.

For more information about Miocean and urban run-off pollution, visit www.miocean.org