The Laguna Bluebelt Coalition, a local organization that promotes the protection and restoration of the Laguna Beach Marine Protected Area which surrounds the city, has concluded an online survey about how residents and visitors perceive the health of Laguna Beach’s coastal waters and how they might be improved.
The online survey was circulated via social media and op-ed articles and received 40 responses. Most who participated in the survey are individuals who frequently experience the ocean directly and have, perhaps, a more intimate knowledge of its cleanliness and health. 42% are avid ocean-goers, who swim, surf or otherwise recreate a few times each week, and 25% get in the water at least a few times a month.
Responses from residents and visitors suggest three conclusions.
1. Though they rate Laguna’s ocean health good, 77% of respondents oppose the continued discharge of municipal wastewater into Laguna’s waters and 95% of respondents are concerned about a repeat of last Thanksgiving’s sewage spill. 72% said Laguna Beach should stop its daily discharge of 1.87 million gallons of wastewater into the ocean.
2. As a solution to the current practice of dumping wastewater into the ocean, 55% of respondents support the creation of a Zero Liquid Discharge system which would recycle that wastewater (38% were uncertain). Such a system would make recycled water available for resale by the city to other water districts, offsetting the cost of building and maintaining a Zero Liquid Discharge system. Alternatively, it could be used in a Wildfire Perimeter System to supplement traditional firefighting, should wildfires threaten the city.
3. Respondents who live in Laguna Beach and would be responsible for paying for a Zero Liquid Discharge system said that they were willing to pay, on average, an additional $15.88 on their monthly water bills to see it built and maintained. Assuming even a $10 increase for every ratepayer, the City and water district would have additional funds and grants to pursue a policy of Zero Liquid Discharge.
The Laguna Bluebelt Coalition appreciates the community’s participation in the Ocean Health Survey and will be sharing other aspects of your responses on our website and through various social media outlets to educate and motivate the community and elected leaders to make greater improvements to Laguna’s ocean water quality and precious Laguna Bluebelt – the foundation of the ecology and economy.
Mike Beanan, Laguna Beach
The City Council passed Agenda Bill 14 on September 16, 2014 to modernize the Coastal Treatment Plant yet there has been no progress. Last Thanksgiving Weekend, a failed sewer main line ruptured sending close to 2 million gallons of raw sewage directly into coastal ocean water at Aliso Beach and Bluebird Canyon. As Laguna’s sewage system continues to deteriorate, there appears to be no initiative to improve our wastewater system as we seem to prefer to wait for the next disaster to take action. If you care about the ocean’s health, speak up to protect Laguna’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) – the foundation of our eco-logy & eco-nomy.