Outfall Fallout

I wish to respond to your piece, “Scripps Sewage Tack Differs in Own Back Yard,” (Aug. 11.)

Reputable scientists have never stated that there is no influence of outfalls on the local flora and fauna. Most natural communities are very sensitive to increases or decreases in food production and the organic loading in sewage effluent represents a huge increase in food to the surrounding area with well-described local changes.

The question is, is this important? In the context of the overall state of the ocean, the answer is no. In the context of recreational and commercial use of the coastal ocean near shore, the answer is again, no, if outfalls have been properly sited offshore at depth as the one at Point Loma is. In the context of trying to maintain an underwater reserve, the answer may well be, yes, which is why Scripps questioned the location of an outfall north of the underwater reserve, and north of Scripps pier where the intake for seawater used for research and aquarium purposes is withdrawn. Given a knowledge of the local coastal ocean, there could be times when because of circulation features some portion of the waste stream could impinge on either the water supply or on the underwater reserve, and could cause changes.

The underwater reserve was set aside in an effort to protect an indigenous biota, one that has been under assault from recreational and commercial fishing and diving. Additionally, the Scripps pier has served as an important location for monitoring physical, biological and chemical properties of the ocean over the past several decades, and any kind of potential artificial change to the signal should be avoided. These conservation and research issues are different from questions about impacts of the outfall on recreational or commercial interests.

Having Scripps speak out against a northern outfall is not contradictory to the idea of maintaining an underwater “wilderness” area. And having Scripps scientists speak out as citizens against secondary treatment as expensive and not worth the effort does speak not to the goal of maintaining an underwater reserve but is answering a question about the impacts of coastal outfalls on the general health of the coastal ocean.