HUNTINGTON BEACH
The City Council unanimously agreed this week to pay $399,000 for San Diego-based consultant URS Greiner Woodward Clyde to help identify and eliminate ocean contamination possibly caused by urban runoff.
Many blame runoff--untreated waste water that flows from lawns and streets into storm drains and out into the ocean--for the beach closures that plagued Huntington Beach last summer. At its worst, more than four miles of shoreline were declared off-limits because of high bacteria levels. The exact source of contamination remains a mystery.
The city plans to spend more than $1 million to try to prevent closures before the next tourist season.
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