Hidden Danger at the Beach

When you go to the ocean shore, it’s easy to tell whether the beach sand is clean and free of junk or hazards. The same cannot be said for the water.

The water may seem clean, but it in fact may be polluted by a variety of organisms that can cause a range of health problems, from sore throats to dysentery. The key to safe beaches is to have clear standards of water purity and to advise bathers promptly when those standards are exceeded, or to close the beaches altogether when there is a threat.

But first, the water must be tested. Amazingly, California has no comprehensive statewide standard for water safety and no requirement that waters be regularly monitored.

Fortunately for Southern Californians, the major counties do a good job in this regard. Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties have such programs. But Ventura County still has no regular monitoring program, the Natural Resources Defense Council reported this week. Nor do six other coastal California counties: Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Marin, Mendocino and Sonoma.

This situation would be corrected with passage of AB 411, authored by state Assemblyman Howard Wayne (D-San Diego). The legislation would establish uniform state health standards for beach waters and require regular monitoring.

Another measure that merits legislative approval is SB 499, aimed at the more basic problem of pollution such as street and highway grime that reaches the ocean through storm drains. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Dede Alpert (D-Coronado), would direct state agencies to develop a plan to control this runoff in coastal areas.

California’s swimming, surfing and diving waters are a vital recreational and economic resource. The state has a compelling interest in assuring their safety and taking prompt action whenever there is a health threat.