Waste water treatment to be changed

Eron Ben-Yehuda

Within the next few months, the Orange County Sanitation District will

begin releasing treated waste water with a higher level of bacteria into

the ocean off Huntington Beach.

The district discharges 250 million gallons of waste water daily from its

two plants in Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley.

Currently, half of that waste water is cleaned to a “primary” level,

which leaves more microscopic filth including fecal matter, while the

other half receives “secondary” treatment, removing more contaminants,

district spokeswoman Michele Tuchman said. But that 50-50 blend will

change next year to as much as 80% primary waste water, she said.

The district’s board of directors approved the upcoming change on Oct.

27, as part of its strategy to meet the sewage needs of a growing

population in the next 20 years.

Even though more waste will be released into the water, Tuchman said

beach-goers should not be alarmed.

The district discharges its waste water through an outfall pipe five

miles off the coast, she said.

In September, officials tested the pipe using a fluorescent red dye, she

said. They tracked the path of discharged waste water from the mouth of

the pipe and found that the plume never reached the coastline, she said.

Moreover, the higher concentrations of bacteria that will be released

will serve as nutrient enrichment for marine life in deeper waters, she

said.

“It will have no adverse impacts on the ocean environment,” she said.

But the Surfrider Foundation, which promotes clean oceans, strongly

opposes releasing more waste, increasing the risk of intestinal and

respiratory illnesses for swimmers, spokesman Don Schulz said.

“It’s bad for the ocean and it’s bad for the people that enjoy the ocean

and live close by it,” he said.

The fact that the district received permission from the federal

Environmental Protection Agency and state Regional Water Quality Control

Board makes no difference, he said.

“Even though they have a permit, that doesn’t mean they’re doing the

right thing,” he said.

Considering all the recent problems with ocean contamination, City

Councilman Dave Garofalo said the district should reconsider its

decision.

“There has to be a better way.”

Question:

OUTFALL INCREASE?

Should the new mix of treated sewage be released into the ocean?

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