Bacteria Closes Part of Huntington Beach

Despite intensive efforts to keep bacteria-laden runoff from hitting the ocean, Orange County health officials posted new notices along nearly two miles of beach on Wednesday warning of contamination.

Tests on Tuesday found excessive levels of the bacterium enterococcus, usually an indicator of problems with urban runoff.

After a disastrous summer of beach closures last year, with runoff considered a likely cause, city and county officials are spending nearly $1 million to divert 2.5 million gallons of runoff a day away from the coastline to a sewage treatment plant.

“This is exactly what we were hoping this diversion would take care of, at least for the summer,” said Mary Anne Skorpanich, special projects manager for the Orange County Public Resources and Facilities Department. “There still appears to be something [else] that’s contributing. We’re trying to figure out what it means.”

The health postings, which warn that it is dangerous to swim in the water, were frustrating for environmental activists too.

“Oh my gosh. Deja vu,” said Mark Gold, executive director of Heal the Bay. “All I can say is that it’s not for lack of effort. You really have to hand it to all the folks in Orange County for doing what they can on source identification and source abatement. Obviously, they have a more complex problem.”

Last summer, about four miles of the beach was fouled for more than two months, severely hurting businesses that rely on beach tourism. Huntington State Beach saw a drop of at least $250,000 in revenue, state officials said.

Jack Clapp, owner of Dwight’s beach concession stand near the pier, said last year’s contamination “killed business about 90%.”

“I’m worried about it, depending on which way the pollution goes and if it comes up the beach,” said Clapp, who sells fast food and rents in-line skates and body boards. “It could be very dramatic. But again, we’ve had this sort of thing close up a thousand feet of beach or a hundred and the next day it’s back open. I really want to know more.”

Signs were posted on a smaller section of the beach because of a spike in mid-June. If the contamination spreads north, he said, it could cause problems with a surfing competition slated to begin on the city beach Tuesday.