SeeCalifornia.com

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced this past week that they’re reducing funding for water quality testing at California’s and the nation’s beaches –and they also announced that water standards are being relaxed.

There is no official estimate as to how many people have avoided getting sick because of a national effort to test waters that people use for recreation, but our best guess would be millions.  California is a leader in water testing & information distribution; a nonprofit organization that has lead the way in information campaigns via Internet and social media is Heal the Bay (healthebay.org). They stepped up in recent years to acquire extra funding through private donors and kept their water quality stations along the California coast fairly well manned with volunteers  and local agencies who take samples of ocean water regularly and test them for a variety of things that make people sick.  The group has a system in place to provide weekly reports in which they give grades for water quality.

This past week 359 California beaches were tested and here’s what was determined:

• 25 beaches received  D or F grades with water unfit for swimming. Orange County, one of the top beach destinations, had the most “bad” grades with 9 beaches not fit for tourism enjoyment. Los Angeles County came in second, followed by San Diego, San Mateo, San Francisco and Alameda, who all had some sore spots.
• 5 beach closures in San Diego County will get the attention of tourists and locals as signs are posted alerting them to stay away. The trouble spots are near the Mexico border, Tijuana slough and Camp Pendleton.
• 10 rain advisories-– When it rains in California, don’t go in the water for around 72 hours.  From San Mateo and Alameda Counties around the Bay Area to San Diego beaches in the south, there are rain advisories throughout California.

The EPA said a difficult financial climate is causing the agency to eliminate $9.9 million in grants to test water quality, close beaches and post signs. In 2000 Congress authorized the BEACH Act to fund water testing which resulted in 3,600 beach locations receiving testing in recent times.  Water quality advocates contend the public and millions of tourists  will be at greater risk of getting sick if the federal funds disappear.

The proposed cuts coincide with the agency’s new nationwide beach water quality standards that are weaker than the 1986 rules they replace. An online petition at change.org requests that President Obama restore funding for beach water quality testing.  A variety of  clean ocean advocates such as Surfrider Foundation are involved in the campaign to keep swimmers safe.

And how bad can ocean water be for your health?  My neighbor who is a world class competitive surfer (and movie producer) was exposed to unhealthy water in a surf competition, resulting in an illness that nearly killed him. He spent a year in and out of hospitals with several brain surgeries, weakened and bed-ridden. He survived, but is extremely cautious now about where he surfs.  Swimming in polluted water exposes people to pathogens that can cause gastrointestinal illness, diarrhea, vomiting, skin rashes and ear, eye and staph infections.