EDITORIAL:Efforts take city to top

Laguna Beach should be rightfully proud of being called a “Beach Buddy” by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The designation, announced last week, puts Laguna at the top of all beaches on the West Coast for water quality.

City Manager Ken Frank is especially proud Laguna made this elite listing despite being located in a major metropolitan area. Many of the beaches that were deemed pristine are in remote areas of the country.

The honoring group did their homework and not only figured out the percentage of time the nation’s swimming waters were out of compliance with water quality standards, but also took nominations from clean water advocates.

It’s not hard to see why Laguna bubbled to the top in this surf contest: citizen activists who watch the waters and monitor and clean up constantly; and, perhaps more to the point, a multi-million dollar effort to improve the city’s sewer lines — after a spate of sewage spills and beach closures in the 1990s.

Laguna has also put in place several runoff diversion facilities that funnel storm drain discharge into the sewer system for treatment, instead of allowing the contamination to flow into the ocean.

Not too long ago, the city was on the Environmental Protection Agency’s “watch” list and subject to fines for failing to keep the beaches free from contamination.

This was, ironically, after the city had asked the EPA for help in making improvements. Among the worst offenders were local restaurants who were discarding old cooking grease into the sewer lines, a practice which is illegal. The laws against this practice are rigorously enforced.

Laguna also put money into its aging sewer system, which is still in the process of being improved.

On Aug. 7, the City Council approved a contract to replace the North Coast Interceptor sewer line, a project that will begin next month.

Digging out the old sewer line and putting in a new one will require some pain on the part of Coast Highway motorists and residents in the Nyes Place area, but it will mean a clean ocean for many years to come.

While other cities may talk the talk about clean water and protecting the ocean from human contamination, Laguna walks the walk.

Or should we say swims.