Water quality topic of coast meeting

-- Susan McCormack

NEWPORT BEACH -- A discussion to inform the community about improving

water quality and preventing beach closures will take place on Nov. 3 at

Newport Harbor Nautical Museum.

A key focus of the event, which is sponsored by the Orange County Coast

Assn., will be this summer’s puzzling Huntington Beach closures. County

officials now believe runoff may have caused the high levels of bacteria,

which forced the closure of the beach for about two months.

Jim de Boom, the association’s executive vice president, said Newport

Beach must be particularly careful to do what it can to avoid closures.

“We have the world’s largest private harbor. That and the tourism play

such an important part in the economy, that this is one thing we need

look at,” he said.

In July and October, portions of Bayshore Beach were closed due to high

bacteria levels.

“This is already starting to affect us,” de Boom said. “We have to

realize the potential of this before it becomes a large problem.”Larry

Honeybourne, water quality program chief with the Orange County Health

Department, will be the featured speaker at the event.

Elected officials and business and community leaders from all of Orange

County are expected to attend the event. Tickets are $15 for coast

association members and $20 for the public, including lunch. Reservations

may be made by calling (949) 660-8665, ext. 3, and are required before

Nov. 1.

The program will start at 11:30 a.m. and will include time for a

question-and-answer period. The nautical museum is at 151 East Coast

Highway.