There are three agencies within Orange County that provide monitoring information to Heal the Bay's Beach Report Card. The South Orange County Wastewater Authority monitored 33 locations once or twice a week. The County of Orange Environmental Health monitored 95 locations on a weekly basis, of which approximately 55 locations are covered in the Beach Report Card. The Orange County Sanitation District monitored 17 locations five times a week. Samples were collected throughout the year along open coastal and bay beaches, as well as near flowing storm drains, creeks or rivers. For additional water quality information visit the Orange County Environmental Health Division website.

Seal Beach at 14th Street. Photo: Heal the Bay

Overall, year-round dry weather water quality at most beaches in Orange County was fair, with 78% of the beaches receiving an A or B (Figures 34 and 35). Of the 104 water quality monitoring locations covered by the Beach Report Card, 65 (63%) received A grades. Like other Southern California counties, water quality at Orange County beaches during the summer dry weather months (AB411) was much better, with 87% of the beaches receiving an A or B. Stretches of Orange County beaches with excellent water quality during the summer dry weather time-period were: Seal Beach at 8th Street to Huntington State Beach at Newland Street, Newport Beach at Orange Street to the Wedge, Corona Del Mar State Beach in Newport Beach to Crescent Bay Beach in Laguna Beach, Laguna Hotel to Three Arch Bay in Laguna Beach, and Avenida Pico to Las Palmeras at San Clemente City and State Beaches.

Doheny Beach. Photo: Heal the Bay
Baby Beach, Dana Point Harbor. Photo: Heal the Bay

There were 23 Orange County locations that received fair-to-poor year-round dry weather water quality grades. As has been documented historically, 20 of the 23 problem locations are in three areas: Newport Bay, Doheny Beach, and in Dana Point Harbor. Those monitoring locations that perennially have poor water quality are: 43rd and 38th Streets (Newport Bay); North Beach, San Juan Creek Interface, Doheny Beach 1000 through 4000 feet south (Doheny Beach); and all of the Baby Beach monitoring locations (Dana Point Harbor). When considering only the summer dry weather months, there were nine less beach locations receiving a C, D, or F. However, the remaining 14 locations that did receive fair-to-poor grades were from the aforementioned problem areas. Out of this group, two areas (Doheny Beach and Dana Point Harbor's Baby Beach) once again made Heal the Bay's Beach Bummer list as some of the most polluted beaches in California.

Wet weather quality was heavily impacted by the large amount of rainfall that fell this past winter season and we saw the worst Orange County water quality year on record with 92% of the beaches getting Ds and Fs compared to the 5 year average of 67% Ds and Fs (Figure 37). 81% of the beaches monitored during wet weather this year received an F grade. When considering the magnitude of rainfall that fell in Orange County (Table 5) in comparison to the previous five-years, it is not hard to see the correlation of poor water quality and rainfall.

Figure 36 illustrates a trends assessment of dry weather conditions for Orange County beaches, in terms of grades, comparing this year's results with the five-year average. For dry weather conditions, this year's percentage results of As and Bs (78%) was virtually identical to the five-year average (79%).

Sewage Spill Summary
Orange County beaches had a massive increase in the volume of sewage spills this year due to the extremely high rainfall this winter season. There were 44 known sewage spills discharging nearly 6 million gallons of sewage to local beaches. For some perspective on the magnitude of increase, the total number of spills this year increased by 19, and the total volume spilled increased by 5,921,190 gallons. In addition, there were nine major sewage spills (>10,000 gallons) compared to last year's single major spill. Two major spills accounted for 95% of the volume spilled this past year.

Approximately 1,600,000 gallons of primary and secondary treated undisinfected and disinfected wastewater was released during an OCSD electrical malfunction and up to 4 million gallons of sewage was released due to a Rubidoux Community Services District line break reported on 1/9/05.

Another indication of the impact this winter's storms had on sewage spills were the percentages in number of spills and volume. Prior to the beginning of the rainy season, from April 2004 through September 2004, Orange County had experienced 43% of all its sewage spills and 27% of all its volume spilled. Between October 2004 and March 2005, the rainy season for Orange County, 53% of all it spills and 73% of all its volume spilled came during this time-period.

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