BEACHES

For years, local surfers, swimmers and other beach denizens complained that the much-vilified water in the Santa Monica Bay made them sick. Literally.

So when a recent study found human enteric virus--from fecal matter--in runoff from the storm drains near the Santa Monica pier, King Harbor in Redondo Beach and Malibu Lagoon, Dr. Jeff Harris, a Malibu family practitioner and avid surfer, was not surprised. Although the report makes no link between diseases and the large quantity of the virus, Harris says he’s seen enough ailing surfers during his 17 years in practice to reach his own conclusions.

“I’ve had increasing numbers of otherwise healthy lifeguards come into my office complaining of similar flu- and cold-like symptoms,” he says. “I’ve seen severe infections of open wounds and several cases of recurring ear, eye, nose and throat infections. The other phenomenon is an outbreak of skin rashes, especially for those who swim in the Malibu Creek area after the runoff pool (from a nearby sewage treatment center) has been breached. The lagoon gets so full of nitrogen and phosphorous, swimmers anywhere within 150 yards are taking a bath in liquid fertilizer.”

Just how much bad water is going into the ocean? “Sixty separate storm drains empty into the Santa Monica Bay,” says Mark Gold, a 28-year-old environmental biologist for Heal the Bay. “We were shocked to find out how prevalent human fecal sewage was in and near those drains. It comes from a range of sources: leaky, illegal sewer lines, camper trailers and residents who don’t have access to proper restroom facilities.”

Gold estimates daily flow at more than 1 million gallons released into Malibu Lagoon, 200,000 gallons at the Pico-Kenter storm drain (near the Santa Monica pier) and about 20,000 gallons at Herondo (near King Harbor). Gold sees some signs of progress--Pico-Kenter recently diverted its flow into the huge Hyperion sewage treatment project.

Harris, an active member of the Surfrider Foundation and Heal the Bay, is working to solve the problem. He believes a combination of underground storage tanks and reservoirs, along with a restoration of wetland areas to absorb excess nutrients and allow harmful organisms to die, are the best way to handle refuse water.

He’d also like to see score cards put up to rate the harmful bacteria and germs in the water, so the public can assess risk; his list of safe beaches in Santa Monica Bay is pretty short.

“I recommend Leo Carrillo and Zuma Canyon when the creek isn’t flowing. If you do go out at other beaches, never swim within 100 yards of the storm drains.”