Newport on alert for spread of bacteria
Stacy Brown
WEST NEWPORT -- Local officials said Wednesday they are closely
monitoring the waters off Newport Beach for signs of the bacteria that
has closed a three-mile stretch of Huntington Beach.
“Obviously we’re concerned about this situation,” said Assistant City
Manager Dave Kiff.
On Wednesday, the County Health Care Agency added another mile to the
closure, which now includes parts of Huntington Beach from the Santa Ana
River to a mile north of the pier, after bacteria levels were found to be
at three times the state limit.
That closure followed another mile-long one on Tuesday.
Much of that stretch has been closed since early July, but the increased
area -- and the fact that the source of the bacteria remains unknown --
have put officials in Newport Beach on high alert.
“We are closely monitoring and testing the surf zone, which is Orange
Street, about seven streets down from Huntington Beach on Coast Highway,
and 52nd and 53rd, streets which are about another seven to 10 blocks
south of the rivermouth,” Kiff said.
Since the contaminants run close to Newport Beach and the area around the
Newport Bay, the county’s Department of Sanitation has begun testing
local waters three times a week, Kiff said.
Councilman Tod Ridgeway said residents need not be alarmed because local
officials are watching with a concerned and close eye.
“The county is being extra vigilant, and although we show no
contamination, we are on alert,” Ridgeway said.
Ridgeway said he hopes the problem in Huntington Beach can be identified
and cleared soon.
“It’s a concern when your neighbor can’t find a source of contamination,
so we’re keeping abreast of the testing that’s going on here,” Ridgeway
said.
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