Millions of people enjoy California's beaches each year. But because of runoff pollution, the state recommends against swimming for three days after it rains.

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From San Diego’s famous surf to otters playing in Monterey Bay, California’s bays and beaches are big parts of what make our state a special place to live. Unfortunately, toxic runoff from developed land washes dangerous amounts of trash, bacteria and poisonous chemicals into our waters. Every year, 3 million gallons of oil are washed into San Francisco Bay. Runoff is blamed for dangerous levels of toxic metals and bacteria in San Diego and Newport bays. One and a half million people fall ill each year from swimming off the coast of Southern California. Ninety percent of Santa Monica Bay is polluted at levels that can threaten wildlife.

The beach shouldn’t make you sick. So this spring, Environment California kicked off a campaign to protect and restore our beloved beaches and bays.

Preventing runoff pollution

During a storm, the trash, bacteria and chemicals that accumulate on pavement in our cities are picked up by rainwater. This urban sludge courses over pavement, enters storm drains, and washes into our waterways and out onto the shore. Runoff dumps so much bacteria and toxic chemicals into our ocean waters that the California Department of Health Services warns swimmers to stay out of the ocean.

The good news is that, we can prevent this runoff pollution. Environment California’s report, “A Clean Water Future for California,” provides a series of recommendations to California’s water boards on how our bays and beaches can be protected for future generations. We are working to convince the California Legislature to implement a key recommendation of the report: require real reductions in toxic pollution from development, the number one pollution threat to California’s bays and beaches.

The first step is to reduce runoff pollution from roads. Roads collect some of the most dangerous stormwater pollutants like lead, grease and oil and act as “rivers of pollution” that wash runoff pollution into storm drains and into our bays. By curbing the amount of toxic stormwater that flows into storm drains from roads, California can protect our waterways from urban runoff.

A drainpipe in La Jolla. Runoff carries oil, bacteria and toxins through storm drains and into our bays. Photo: GLUB

Fortunately, there are many straight-forward ways to filter runoff from roads before it enters the storm drain system. Technologies like filters in storm drains, infiltration strips, mini rain gardens and vegetated swales planted in curbside extensions, pedestrian islands and alongside roads can filter out pollution, reduce the speed of runoff and allow water to percolate into the ground before it reaches storm drains. After launching several successful pilot projects to demonstrate this technology, for example, the city of Portland is poised to launch a “green streets” program that will install infiltration areas along streets throughout the city in order to curb runoff.

Last November, California voters passed Proposition 1B, which will direct up to $5 billion toward repairing, expanding and building new roads. This year, Environment California will work with Assemblymember Julia Brownley to pass AB 992, which will ensure that any roads constructed or repaired with Proposition 1B funds take the simple measures necessary to reduce toxic runoff pollution to the maximum extent feasible and protect our bays and beaches from more toxic runoff pollution.