Avalon Harbor Officials Begin Efforts to Curb Water Pollution
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High bacteria counts in Avalon Harbor at Santa Catalina Island have led health officials to launch an attack against water pollution by cracking down on potential sources of contamination from private and commercial boats and from the city’s own sewer system.
The costly program is aimed at visiting boaters who dock in the harbor and at island residents with homes or businesses within 50 yards of the beachfront, said City Manager John Longley.
The measures include issuing dye tablets to boaters and beachfront business owners who must place the tablets in their toilets. The dye leaves tell-tale stains in the waste water, which, although harmless to sea life, would lead health officials to pollution sources, Longley said.
The city is fining polluters $500 per violation. The City Council will consider passing an emergency ordinance Tuesday that would ban boats that discharge sewage from re-entering the harbor for a year, said Mayor Hugh T. (Bud) Smith.
The restrictions come after a sewage leak last June, when an overloaded pumping station near the Casino Ballroom spilled 3,000 gallons of raw sewage into the harbor.
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