A Preliminary Review Report
Submitted By:
National Water Research Institute
Urban Runoff Peer Review Panel
August 25, 2000

Introduction
In the summer of 1999, the Orange County Health Care Officer closed access to ocean water in Huntington state and city beaches for several months because excessive levels of indicator bacteria were found in the surf zone. Because this closure occurred during the peak summer season, it had a major impact on local residents as well as recreational and business communities. Initially, it was believed that the contamination was caused by a sewage spill and because sewage could not be ruled out the beach was closed throughout the summer. The investigations ruled out leaking sewage facilities and suggested there were other potential sources of the contamination. The beach was re-opened around Labor Day.

No specific sources for the contamination in the surf zone were identified during the initial investigations, either by the individual investigators or by an independent review panel convened by the University of California Sea Grant Program at the request of the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) to review the investigative findings. A second phase of the closure investigation used results from the previous studies and recommendations from the review panel to carry out projects that would increase the understanding of the source(s) of the contaminants and the processes that transport contaminants to coastal beaches. An independent Blue Ribbon Panel of experts was then convened by the National Water Research Institute (NWRI) to review these ongoing studies. This report is based on a series of presentations made to the Panel on June 21-22, 2000. The Panel recognizes that many of the studies and data analyses are ongoing and that presentations of data from those studies are not complete. Hence, the findings of the Panel are only a preliminary assessment of the program.

The Urban Runoff Peer Panel Members
Chair - Marlene Noble, Ph.D., U.S. Geological Survey
Harvey F. Collins, Ph.D., Consulting Environmental Engineer
William S. Gaither, Ph.D., Gaither & Associates
Mohsen Mehran, Ph.D., Geosystem Consultants, Inc.
Suresh Pillai, Ph.D., Texas A&M University

OC Sanitation District - Huntington Beach Closure Investigation Phase I

USC Sea Grant - Huntington Beach Closure Technical Review

Coastal Runoff Impact Study 1

PFRD Medium Range Strategy

OC Sanitation District Investigation - Phase II
*note: Opens new window to OC Sanitation FTP site

Blue Ribbon Panel Report on Phase II

Coastal Runoff Impact Study 3 - Proposal