On February 9th I got a news alert telling me that a devastating 900 gallons of sewage had been dumped into the Monterey Bay. This spill was reported to be the result of two human errors (Schmalz, 2014). The first error occurred when a plumber cut a sewage line while doing maintenance on a house, which is common protocol for diverting pressure from a residence. The problem was the sewage drained all the way out to the road and into a storm drain (Schmalz, 2014). The second error was the machinery used to divert the storm drain away from the ocean, in the event that toxic materials end up in the drain, was not functioning (Schmalz, 2014). This series of errors could have been avoided if more of a priority had been put on controlling the movement of the waste after it entered the drain. It is relieving to know that the city has a protocol to avoid toxic waste ending up in the ocean, but it does not do any good if the city does not regularly maintain and test it.
The section of the coast off of Pacific Grove was designated an Area of Biological Significance in the 1970’s, which means it is “biologically unique and has sensitive marine ecosystems” and, due to this, there is supposed to be zero pollution ("Pacific Grove Area of Biological Significance," 2009). Despite its coast being protected, the city of Pacific Grove has a history of ocean pollution, and in December of 2009 the State Water Board found storm runoff was putting polycyclic hydrocarbons, copper, lead, and zinc in the ocean ("Pacific Grove Area of Biological Significance," 2009). Techniques and tools were proposed to reduce polluted runoff from entering the ocean. It is disappointing to hear that these techniques and tools did not prevent the sewage spill last week.
This most recent sewage spill is of particular concern to bay-area divers because it caused one of the most beautiful dive locations, Lovers Point, to be closed (Schmalz, 2014). Lovers Point is known for its ease of entry, impressive visibility, and beautiful reefs and pinnacles (Crisp, 2009). I have been diving at this location and it has a wealth of life on the reefs, including sea lemons, black eye goby, lion nudibranch, and blue rockfish. That amount of sewage could have a damaging effect on these creatures and the other marine life of that location. It pains me to imagine 900 gallons of sewage in this beautiful spot. When raw sewage enters the ocean it often serves as food for bacteria and algae, which can cause these organisms to multiply exponentially. The increase in bacteria and algae causes the concentration of oxygen in the water to decrease, which can cause fish and other marine animals to suffocate (Davie, 2008).
There has been no attempt to clean the sewage out of the ocean. The city plans to do a water quality test after the first major rain but, being that California is in a drought, that could be a long way off (Schmalz, 2014). Lovers Point will be closed until this test can be carried out. It was reported that the test may have been done last week and that Lovers Point will be re-opened, but at this time no further reports have been published. Because the city and the ocean butt up against each other it is inevitable that every once in a while these errors will occur, but I believe strongly that we have a responsibility to protect the ocean from our garbage and waste. The ocean is a source of beauty and inspiration for many people and it is appalling when we fail to protect it.
Photo by Skylar Merritt
Crisp, M. (2009). Monterey Dive Sites: Lover’s Point. Monterey Scuba Board. Retrieved February
14, 2014, Retrieved from http://www.montereyscubaboard.com/monterey-dive-sites/lovers-point/
Davie, T. (2008). Fundamentals of hydrology. London; New York: Routledge.
State Water Resources Control Board. (2009, December 31). Pacific Grove Area of Special Biological Significance. Coast Keeper. Retrieved from http://www.cacoastkeeper.org/document/factsheet_asbs19.pdf
Schmalz, D. (2014, February 10). Error after sewage spill leads to closure of Lover’s Point Beach. Monterey County Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/blogs/news_blog/article_6cfe7628-92a6-11e3-9255-001a4bcf6878.html
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