Surfing in Dirty Water: So Sick!

Photo: Hannah Arista/ Docuvitae

The last time I went in to the doctor for a regular checkup, he asked me the usual questions about my health and lifestyle. When he heard I was a surfer his facial expression became very serious.

“You surf here, in the Santa Monica Bay?”

I said I did and, a bit surprised by his reaction, I assured him that it was very normal and lots of people do it. He wasn’t listening because he was furiously scribbling on his clipboard, compiling a shopping list of additional shots and immunizations that I would need now that I had admitted my filthy habit: Tetanus, the Hepatitus Alphabet, etc.

I thought surely he was over-reacting but better safe than sorry. Surfing isn’t dirty, surfing is healthy! I feel great every day I can get in the water, and as long as I wear sunscreen, I’m good right?

Testing the Waters

Today I was down at Ocean Park in Santa Monica for a press conference to release NRDC’s Testing the Waters beach water quality report, and the numbers are not good. Coastal water quality is as bad as it has been since NRDC started doing this annual report 22 years ago, and not getting better, with two of the top three worst reports coming in 2011 and 2012.

What’s in the water?

Photo: Hannah Arista/ Docuvitae

The worst beaches in southern California are contaminated with human fecal bacteria. Gross.  Two of the worst scores on this year’s report, Avalon Beach on Catalina Island and Surfrider Beach in Malibu, are two of the more popular beaches in California, with active beach cultures. Both of these beaches are on the list of worst offenders every year. The City of Malibu recently came to an agreement to improve stormwater management, which is great progress and should make a big difference for pollution at Surfrider caused by stormwater runoff. However, the water quality reports show that public health is still at risk and more needs to be done to address beachwater pollution, here and across the state. Beach cities’ economies rely on their beaches to draw tourists, so it is encouraging to see them making it a priority to keep the coastal waters clean and safe.

Most of the surfers I know take pride in facing their fears and “charging it” in hairy conditions even when there is a risk of physical injury. We hear “don’t go in the water 72 hours after rainfall” and we think “Pshaw, but it’s firing and I’m frothing! I’m strong, no little creepy crawlies gonna get me!” These remedies are anecdotally proven to protect you from dirty water: hydrogen peroxide in your ear, gargle with a little rubbing alcohol, cayenne-maple syrup master cleanse… But the water is getting dirtier, and home remedies never go far enough. Besides, they shouldn’t be the answer when there are solutions available to prevent water pollution in the first place. Last year a buddy of mine was hospitalized after surfing at a rivermouth with bacterial meningitis, the kind that gets into your spine. He is now fine, thank Neptune, but let’s clean up the water!

NRDC Water Program Attorney Noah Garrison speaks at the 2012 Testing the Waters Press Conference  

Protect the beach, protect beach-goers

The EPA is supposed to be keeping beachgoers and ocean-lovers safe from polluted water. This year they will be updating their 25 year-old “recreational water quality criteria” to protect public health on the beaches, which is great. Unfortunately, the proposed revisions do not do nearly enough to keep us from getting sick. These weak standards would consider 1 in 28 swimmers contracting a bacterial gastro-intestinal illness as “acceptable risk”. Tens of thousands of people have taken action by joining NRDC in asking EPA to strengthen these standards to keep us safe from dirty water at the beach, and you can too.

One major thing cities can do to address beach pollution right now is to reduce stormwater runoff. Green infrastructure can help reduce the crud that washes into the ocean off of the streets of our towns and cities. Surfers, let’s be honest: who can wait 72 hours after a rainfall when the storm surf is up? Many people will be out there regardless of the health warnings, making it all the more crucial to keep the pollution and bacteria from reaching the sea. Let’s see more green roofs, permeable pavement, and other green infrastructure implemented in our coastal urban areas and bathe in the health benefits of a cleaner ocean.