Clean Tests Prompt Call for Beaches to Reopen : Public health: Surf City politicians and merchants want swimming ban lifted in time for the holiday weekend, but county officials demur.

Testing of waters off Huntington Beach showed negligible levels of unhealthy bacteria in results reported Wednesday, setting off a loud chorus of demands to allow swimming in time for the Labor Day weekend.

“These are the lowest numbers we’ve seen in some time,” said Larry Honeybourne, who oversees water quality for the Orange County Health Care Agency. “We’re very encouraged.”

Miles of ocean off the popular city and state beaches have been off limits since July 1, when extremely high levels of fecal coliform and other bacteria were found.

Some sections reopened this week, but about three miles south of the city

pier remain closed. Honeybourne and county health officials insist that they need several days of clean water before allowing swimmers back into the surf.

The drop in bacteria levels provides more support for the latest theory on the cause of the contamination: urban runoff. The water quality improved after officials shut off pumps that send runoff from storm drains into the ocean.

At a meeting Wednesday afternoon, angry federal and state legislators and pleading municipal officials and business owners demanded to know why health officials have not yet lifted the swimming ban.

“The fact of the matter is the last two readings look really good,” Huntington Beach deputy administrator Richard Barnard told health officials. “Isn’t there some hope you can give us? We’re concerned about Labor Day--it’s a big deal, you know.”

Ron Hagan, Huntington Beach’s director of community services, said he needed to know what to expect in order to have lifeguards on duty when the beaches reopen. “If you decide Friday morning to open the beach, and the lifeguards aren’t there, there could be drownings, which would be a lot worse than what you’ve got now,” he said.

A staffer for Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) challenged the multi-agency task force investigating the bacteria to explain the legal basis for keeping the waters off limits.

“Public safety is absolutely the first concern, but there’s no evidence there is untreated sewage in the water,” said Rohrabacher aide Kathleen Hollingsworth.

“Their reach has gone far beyond their mandate here,” she grumbled.

“Our job is to protect the public’s health,” said county health officer Hildy Meyers, who makes the final determination. “We have to feel fairly sure there will be no further problems.”

She and her staff will meet this morning to examine another day’s worth of data and could open more beaches.

Assemblyman Scott Baugh (R-Huntington Beach) said he would introduce legislation today to give local officials the power to override county health officials if waters are clean for three days.

“I have deep concerns” about how the beach closures have been handled, Baugh said. “The water is clean, but the beaches are closed. And merchants are hurting. . . . Also, I live near there, and I’d like to be able to go for a swim.”

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Beach Bacteria

Bacteria levels dropped below safety limits at Huntington Beach on Tuesday.