Runoff Diversion Project OKd

In an effort to control ocean contamination off Huntington Beach, county supervisors on Tuesday approved a year-round project that would divert urban runoff from the Santa Ana River and the Talbert watershed to a treatment facility during dry months.

Urban runoff is the main source of contamination of Southern California’s beaches. Beach waters near storm drains and rivers are polluted by bacteria, debris and chemicals.

The county will install pumps to divert 95% of non-storm runoff flowing down the river and Talbert watershed into the waste treatment facilities of the Orange County Sanitation District.

The district recently adopted a dry-weather policy to treat up to 4 million gallons of runoff daily at no charge.

“We’re currently receiving about 2 million gallons daily in runoff,” said Blake Anderson, general manager of the agency, which is the county’s largest waste treatment agency.

During storms however, the agency will turn off pumps during peak flows.