However, several Malibu beaches receive poor grades for water quality
Malibu beaches avoided being named to the “Top Ten Beach Bummers” in Heal the Bay’s annual beach water quality report card released Wednesday, though several received poor grades. Topanga State Beach at the creek mouth was the only local beach to make the beach bummers list, reappearing on the list for the first time since 2005-2006.
Several Malibu beaches did receive poor water quality grades, including Paradise Cove (F), Solstice Canyon at Surfrider Beach (F), Marie Canyon storm drain (D), Surfrider Beach (F), and Topanga Beach (F). The report commented on Paradise Cove’s poor grade, which came despite the completion of a wastewater treatment facility:
“This was surprising due to the completion of the long overdue wastewater treatment facility and sewers at the Paradise Cove Mobilehome Park, and the installation of a new dry weather runoff treatment facility at the bottom of the watershed (completed last July),” the report says.
The report continues, “Kelp wrack and algae have been observed by Heal the Bay at the outflow of treated water discharged from the treatment facility. The point of discharge may be harboring high concentrations of bacteria, thereby introducing bacteria into newly treated waters and contributing to poor water quality grades.”
Statewide, the report states that “the disparity between dry and wet weather water quality continues to be dramatic, thereby demonstrating that California is not successfully reducing stormwater runoff pollution.”