Bacteria’s back at the beach

Eron Ben-Yehuda

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- Water contamination levels continued to fluctuate

wildly off the Huntington Beach coast this week, as the source of

pollution that scared off so many visitors during Labor Day weekend and

ruined most of the summer in Surf City remained elusive.

By Wednesday afternoon, the bacteria counts were well within acceptable

standards after previously shooting to three times above safe levels,

said Michele Tuchman, an Orange County Sanitation District spokeswoman.

“We’ve seen these crazy spikes, and then the next day the levels are

normal,” she said. “We just haven’t been able to grab that one water

sample and say, ‘Aha.’ ”

Instead of closing the beach, officials posted signs cautioning people of

the danger. But that makes little difference to swimmers, said Larry

Honeybourne, program chief for the water-quality section of the Orange

County Health Care Agency.

“Essentially, it’s a de facto closure,” he said. “Don’t go in the water.”

Tuchman was unable to say whether the signs cautioning swimmers would be

removed before the weekend.

Unlike previous closures, officials essentially have ruled out the

possibility that a sewage leak is to blame. The “main focus” now is urban

runoff -- anything flowing from homes and businesses and into city

gutters, Tuchman said.

Researchers continually test the runoff that flows into the flood control

channel and through the Talbert marsh before spilling into the ocean, she

said. During high tides, the marsh fills with ocean water, which drains

back to the surf zone during low tide, she said.

“There seems to be a correlation between high bacteria counts and low

tides,” she said.

Despite the strong leads, officials still haven’t pinpointed the source

of pollution, though.

“Who knows where the bacteria is hiding,” she said.

Because experts still don’t know for sure, some people believe the

beaches should never have been reopened, and blame merchants and city

officials for the convenient reopening just before Labor Day weekend.

“This whole thing to reopening the beach was political pressure, nothing

more,” said resident Carol Tesh.

City officials, however, stressed that the health of ocean lovers always

comes first.

“That’s the No. 1 priority,” Deputy City Administrator Rich Barnard said.

Despite the open beaches, many Main Street businesses didn’t cash in

during the holiday, with crowds totaling about half the usual 250,000.

Carrie Benoit, the owner of Surf City Casuals, said business dipped about

one-third compared to last year, and that Friday was a disaster.

“It was the worst Friday I’d ever seen,” she said. “It was like I stepped

into winter.”