Creek Pollution Battle Goes On

The pollution in Aliso Creek is so severe and so long-standing that the recent drop to acceptable levels cannot be read as signaling that the problem is solved. Still, it is encouraging.

For three weeks, bacteria levels in water entering the creek have met health standards--just barely. Still, that’s better than the customary high level of pollutants. Laguna Niguel officials believe the reason for the drop is their construction of holding ponds to take water from a storm channel that is known for high bacteria counts. The channel’s runoff eventually enters the ocean at Laguna Beach.

The San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board last December threatened Laguna Niguel and Orange County with fines if they did not clean up the creek and prevent future pollution. The edict was overdue. Aliso Creek pollution no longer comes as a surprise. Contamination from fecal bacteria and urban runoff is known to foul the ocean waters for days on end, especially in the rainy season.

The control board chairman said that while the initial results were good, he was disappointed that the city did not use DNA tests to determine the source of the bacteria. The Laguna Niguel city manager said the DNA tests would be expensive and that all indications so far point to animal, not human, sources.

But the city would do well to learn from Huntington Beach’s problems last summer, when DNA testing could have helped find a source of pollution sooner, stop it and get the beaches reopened. The city and county should take all available steps now, rather than wait for the threat of more fines.