Beach warnings go up in Newport

Paul Clinton

NEWPORT BEACH -- The Orange County Health Care Agency has tacked up

warnings on the beach near 38th Street after high levels of bacteria were

detected.

The signs went up shortly before 2 p.m. Sunday along the beach for 150

feet up the coast and 150 feet down the coast from 38th Street.

The agency put up the signs after higher than permitted levels of

enterococcus bacteria were discovered during routine testing. Samples

showed a 350-count reading, more than three times the permitted level.

The state standard is 104 per sample.

The bacteria is suspected to have come from animal waste that washes

into the ocean from storm drains. The waste -- along with oils, trash and

other muck -- is thought to be present in urban runoff.

The test results come in 24 hours after the samples are taken, so they

may not reflect the current conditions, agency spokeswoman Monica Mazur

said.

“It’s very difficult to find out what causes the high values,” Mazur

said. “The thing everybody’s looking for is rapid [detection] technology

and source identification.”

This most recent posting is somewhat unusual, because the agency is

far more used to installing signs in Newport Harbor. There, boats are

suspected of dumping their sewage holding tanks. Also, there is far less

circulation of water in the harbor.

An arterial storm drain also empties into the harbor, causing the

higher levels.

“We do have occasional hits along the surf zone,” Mazur said, “but

it’s the exception rather than the rule.”