TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager to execute an agreement with Kinnetic Laboratories, Inc., for bacterial testing at coastal beach sites with a “not-to-exceed” amount of $362,392 and a start date of September 1, 2007; and increase appropriations in the amount of $400,000 in the Tidelands Operating Fund (TF 401) in the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Marine (PR) for the agreement and a contingency of approximately 10 percent. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
Long Beach nearshore waters along open coastal beaches are on the Clean Water Act (CWA) 303(d) list due to bacteria contamination. The CWA requires states to develop and implement Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for waters on the 303(d) list.
Potential sources of contamination in the open coastal beaches of Long Beach must be characterized as part of the TMDL process. Bacteria and pathogens may come from a number of sources, including the Los Angeles River, local storm drains, boats and associated pump out facilities, birds, and even recreational beach users.
Currently, 15 Long Beach coastal beach sites are monitored for fecal indicator bacteria on a weekly basis. Periodic violations of fecal indicator bacteria water quality standards occur at these locations, even during dry weather conditions, resulting in advisory postings and closures.
Heal the Bay, a nonprofit environmental organization, produces a Summer Beach Report Card every October and an Annual Beach Report Card every May for California's beaches. It has reported that the worst water quality in the state was found in Long Beach. The last annual and summer reports each indicated that only 12 percent of the monitoring locations received grades of A or B, which is a sharp decline in ratings from previous years. A Water Quality Task Force was formed to work on identifying the source(s) of coastal water contamination.
A recommendation of the Water Quality Task Force is to conduct a bacterial water quality study along the City's recreatio...
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