Video designed to send message of clean water

June Casagrande

The most powerful weapon in the city’s arsenal to improve water

quality could soon be unleashed on the public.

The city has just completed a video that it hopes will spread a

countywide message to keep water clean. The city of Laguna Beach and

the Irvine Ranch Water District, who helped finance the production,

will get a screening on Jan. 9. If they approve, the city will begin

distributing the video to numerous agencies in Orange County to

spread the word: local cable stations, school districts and other

agencies. Public service announcements 30 and 60 seconds in length

might be produced from the video for distribution to public TV

stations such as KOCE, Newport Beach Public Information Officer

Marilee Jackson said.

“The simple statement that we’re trying to get across from video

is that anytime someone throws anything into storm drain, it winds up

in the ocean,” Jackson said. “The misperception is that it goes into

the sewer. But the truth is that any time you throw something down a

storm drain or even in the street it ends up in the ocean.”

Art Gronsky, a longtime local and founder of The Landing, stars in

the video that attempts to tug at heartstrings by showing the local

environment through the eyes of an old-timer.

Jackson said it’s likely that the film will come under its $24,000

budget because of the donated efforts of volunteers like Gronsky.

Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and the water district each committed

$8,000 to the project. The two coastal cities share an interest in

teaching inland residents about water quality. The water district

hopes that increased public awareness will aid its efforts to

preserve wetlands as part of its natural water treatment system.

Jackson added that once all the parties have approved it, the city

might hold a screening during an upcoming City Council meeting.

“It’s a beautiful video,” Jackson said.