Santa Barbara Channelkeeper

Keeping Watch for Clean Water

pollution

Clean Water Starts with Us: How We Can Help Address Water Pollution

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Water pollution is a complex issue with far-reaching consequences for ecosystems, human health, and the planet as a whole. However, the good news is that each of us has the power to make a positive impact with everyday actions we take. Here’s a closer look at water pollution, its effects, and how you can contribute to a cleaner, healthier environment. 

Understanding Water Pollution 

Water is a universal solvent, able to dissolve more substances than any other liquid on Earth. While this is a positive attribute that allows it to dissolve minerals like sodium chloride for the world’s oceans and to transport nutrients in our blood, it also means that water can easily become polluted when toxins are introduced.  

Water pollution occurs when harmful substances contaminate waterways like rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans, making them unsafe for consumption and damaging aquatic life. This pollution can come from various sources: 

  • Industrial Discharges: Factories and industrial plants can release pollutants into rivers and lakes through direct discharge or stormwater systems. 
  • Agricultural Pollution: Pesticides and fertilizers used in farming can wash into waterways, introducing harmful chemicals and excess nutrients. 
  • Sewage and Wastewater: Inadequate treatment of sewage and wastewater can introduce pathogens and pollutants into water systems. 
  • Stormwater Pollution: Chemicals, oil, grease, and nutrients can drain into municipal stormdrains and eventually local waterways 
  • Plastic Pollution: Single-use plastics and other debris can end up in oceans and rivers, causing harm to wildlife and ecosystems. 
  • Oil Spills: Accidental spills from ships and pipelines release harmful chemicals into the water, devastating aquatic environments. 

The Impact of Water Pollution 

The consequences of water pollution are severe: 

  • Health Risks: Contaminated water can carry diseases and toxins, leading to serious health issues for humans, including gastrointestinal problems, neurological disorders, and even cancer. 
  • Ecosystem Damage: Pollutants can disrupt aquatic ecosystems, harming fish, plants, and other wildlife. This disruption can lead to the collapse of local ecosystems and biodiversity loss. 
  • Economic Costs: Cleanup efforts, healthcare costs, and loss of recreational opportunities due to polluted water can have substantial economic impacts on communities. 

Local Efforts to Prevent Water Pollution 

Protecting water quality in the Santa Barbara Channel is at the core of Channelkeeper’s work to ensure that our community has access to clean, drinkable, swimmable, fishable water. To that effect, Channelkeeper monitors and advocates to protect water quality in the Santa Barbara Channel and surrounding watersheds. 

Our team gathers and shares water quality data to help decision-makers protect and restore local waterways and to foster wider community awareness and involvement in protecting water quality. We collect plankton samples to monitor harmful algal blooms, we respond to community member reports of pollution, and take action to ensure enforcement of fundamental environmental laws. We also mobilize community members to help us protect our waterways by picking up trash, plastic, and marine debris.  

How You Can Help: A Community Approach 

Reducing and preventing water pollution requires collective effort. Here are a few practical steps you can take to contribute to cleaner water: 

  • Proper Disposal of Chemicals and Waste: Avoid dumping chemicals, oils, pharmaceuticals, and hazardous substances down the drain, and make sure that your car doesn’t leak oil, antifreeze, or coolant. Be mindful of anything that goes into storm drains, since they flow directly into local waterways. 
  • Participate in Local Cleanup Events: Help protect water sources. Volunteer with Channelkeeper’s Watershed Brigade to remove trash from beaches, creeks, rivers, and urban areas.  Help keep local waterways and the environment clean! 
  • Reduce Plastic Use: Minimize your use of single-use plastics. Choose reusable bags, bottles, and containers. Properly recycle plastic waste and participate in local cleanup events to remove plastics from natural environments. Support companies that make decisions to use less single-use plastic and advocate for policies that work to address plastic pollution at its source.  
  • Use Eco-Friendly Products: Choose environmentally friendly cleaning products, pesticides, and fertilizers. Many of these products are designed to minimize harm to aquatic ecosystems. 
  • Educate Yourself and Others: Learn about where your water comes from and where it goes after you use it. Does your drinking water come from a well, a river, lake, or reservoir? Is the wastewater from your home treated at a facility or does it collect into a septic system? Where does stormwater flow to?  As you learn, you will be able to determine where your actions will have the most impact. Help raise awareness about water pollution within your community. Educate friends, family, and neighbors about the importance of water conservation and pollution prevention.  
  • Reduce Runoff: If you have a garden or lawn, avoid over-fertilizing and use natural methods to control pests. Redirect downspouts to landscape and install rain harvesting tools like barrels and cisterns. Implement rain gardens or permeable pavements to reduce runoff and improve water absorption. 
  • Conserve Water: Conserving water reduces the volume of wastewater that must be treated and decreases the strain on local water resources. Simple actions like fixing leaks, taking shorter showers, and using water-efficient fixtures can make a big difference. 
  • Be an Advocate: Use your voice to stand up for clean water. Speak out in support of the Clean Water Act, which helps hold polluters accountable. Tell your local elected officials that you support water protections and investments in infrastructure. 

We are All Part of the Solution to Water Pollution 

When it comes to water pollution, every action counts. By making mindful choices and encouraging others to do the same, each of us can significantly reduce our contribution to water pollution and help protect our precious water resources. Together, we can foster healthier ecosystems and communities and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come. Clean water is not just a necessity—it’s a right that we can all work to preserve.  

Channelkeeper Seeks Answers in the Wake of Goleta Slough and Beach Sewage Spill

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More than 1 million gallons of untreated sewage spilled from a 24-inch forcemain pipe maintained by Goleta West Sanitary District on February 16 and 17, polluting the Goleta Slough and nearby beaches. 

This is the largest spill reported in Santa Barbara County in the past decade. In fact, it is more than 100 times greater than the next largest spill on record—two separate 9,000-gallon spills that affected Cieneguitas and Mission Creeks in the winter of 2023.  

Santa Barbara County Public Health Officials have advised that the area from 1 mile east to ½-mile west of the Goleta Slough outfall will remain closed until water testing indicates that it is safe for the public. The area has been posted with signs warning the public to avoid contact with the water because sewage-contaminated water increases the risk for certain types of illnesses. Community members can find updated water quality testing data here on the County on Santa Barbara County’s ocean monitoring web page.  

Channelkeeper is alarmed by the massive volume of this spill and shares the community’s concern about the public health impacts to beachgoers and the impacts to the fish, wildlife, and habitats of the Goleta Slough and surrounding ocean ecosystem. We are also interested to learn more about what caused the spill, the breakdown in communications related to the spill, and the delayed public notification of the spill and beach closures. 

Goleta West Sanitary District (Goleta West) submitted its initial report to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Water Board) on March 1. It will submit a follow-up technical report about the spill and response by April 4.  

On March 4, the Regional Water Board issued a Notice of Violation to Goleta West about the alleged violations to clean water regulations stemming from the spill. The Regional Board is investigating the spill and response. 

The spill was caused by a small crack in a 24-inch force main pipe operated by Goleta West. It began on the evening of February 16, was discovered at 8:30 am on Saturday, February 17, and stopped shortly thereafter. We have heard reports that the pipe was significantly corroded with thin walls. Channelkeeper is interested to learn more about the condition of the pipes, results of recent pipe inspections, and why a significant reduction in normal sewage flow through the system wasn’t observed sooner.  

A breakdown in critical communications took place among state, county, and local agencies. First, it isn’t clear what was officially reported as the initial estimate of the spill – either 1,000 gallons or 30,000 gallons. However, several days later, the spill was estimated to be 500,000 gallons. On the following day, the total increased to 1 million gallons. We are troubled that the early underestimation of the sewage spill delayed the involvement of other agencies responsible for ocean water testing, beach closures, and wildlife surveys.  

Second, it took five days from the start of the sewage spill for the public health agency to become aware of it and then an additional day to close local beaches. This breakdown in communications is unacceptable. Channelkeeper is forwarding ideas for providing prompt and accessible public information about sewage spills and beach closures.    

Since the spill, Channelkeeper has attended and provided public comments before the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, Goleta West Sanitary District, Goleta Sanitary District, and Goleta City Council. We have also raised our concerns with representatives of the State and Regional Water Quality Control Boards. We will continue to monitor public meetings and the ongoing investigation. We will continue to work collaboratively with community leaders who share our concerns. We have and will be offering recommendations to put in place preventive measures that our community and public agencies can take to better ensure that something like this doesn’t happen again.  

Every Yard Counts in Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change

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The Santa Barbara Channel is vulnerable to the impacts of a changing climate. Your yard can help protect it. 

The Santa Barbara Channel is one of the most biologically productive ecosystems found on Earth. However, changing oceanographic processes, warming water temperatures, ocean acidification, and sea level rise produced by a changing climate are already affecting the health of marine ecosystems.  

We’ve seen recently how coastal runoff from intense rains and flooding flushes trash and debris into the Santa Barbara Channel, degrading water quality. We’ve also seen how high nutrient levels from coastal runoff contribute to harmful algal blooms. Yet our community can minimize some of these impacts by making a few changes in their own yards.  

By conserving water and managing runoff, focusing on soil health, and reducing emissions from lawn care equipment, each of us can lessen our yard’s climate impact while conserving resources and enhancing habitat. Here are a few ideas to implement in your landscaped space. 

Replace Your Lawn

Fertilizing, mowing, blowing, and irrigating a lawn leads to a sizable climate footprint. In 2011, an Environmental Protection Agency report found that gas-powered lawn and garden equipment emitted approximately 6.3 million tons of volatile organic compounds and criteria pollutants (carbon, nitrous oxide, and particulate matter), and 20.4 million tons of carbon dioxide. By planting a variety of native, drought-tolerant plants, trees, shrubs, and ground covers that don’t require high maintenance, you can reduce your landscape’s water use, while providing habitat for birds, pollinators, and beneficial insects. You can make the transition gradually over time by replacing a different patch of turf each year. In addition, many municipalities offer rebates when you replace your lawn with water-wise plants. 

Focus on Soil Health

Healthy soils are the base of thriving ecosystems. Soils rich with organic matter support healthy populations of beneficial organisms while retaining moisture and helping sequester carbon. 

Avoid using synthetic fertilizers. Synthetic fertilizers are not only extremely energy-intensive to manufacture, but they also provide more nitrogen than plants can absorb, contributing to polluted runoff and hazardous algae blooms in the ocean, lakes, and rivers that collect runoff. 

Alternatively, composting food and yard waste is a great way to build healthy soil in your yard. Organic material will improve the fertility, soil structure, and water-holding capacity of your landscape. Planting a cover crop is another way to support healthy soil since plants can help hold soil prevent runoff during heavy rains, protect soil from evaporation during droughts, and capture nutrients to prevent nutrient loss in runoff.  

Be Water Wise

Long periods of drought followed by heavy rains make it increasingly important for each of us to manage and use water wisely. Collecting water from your roof in rain barrels, a cistern, or storage tanks can help you to retain water for future use.  

It’s also a good idea to consider the permeability of your landscape and make the most of downpours by diverting stormwater to designated areas in your yard where it can infiltrate and recharge groundwater resources.  

When irrigation is necessary, drip systems tend to waste less water to evaporation and runoff than conventional sprinklers. Mulching around the base of plants can also help prevent moisture loss while nourishing the soil. 

Use People Power

Reduce your yard’s greenhouse gas emissions by limiting the gas-powered equipment you use to maintain it. Lawn and garden equipment like lawnmowers and leaf blowers account for up five percent of total air pollution in the United States. In fact, according to the EPA, one gas mower spews 88 lbs. of greenhouse gas CO2, and 34 lbs. of other pollutants into the air every year. For a climate-smart alternative, choose hand tools like reel mowers, shovels, and brooms. 

Resources: 

Santa Barbara County 
 
WaterWise Santa Barbara Landscape Rebate Program 

Green Gardener Program 

WaterWise Garden Contest 

Ventura County 

Ventura Water Turf Replacement Rebate 

Ventura Water Conservation Resources 

Drip Irrigation Retrofit Program 

PFAS: Hiding in Plain Sight

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Hundreds of everyday products, from non-stick cooking pans to stain- and water-resistant clothing, are made today with highly toxic chemicals called per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. These chemicals are known to cause cancer, liver and kidney disease, reproductive issues, immunodeficiencies, and hormonal disruptions and in June, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued an updated health advisory stating that there are no safe levels of PFAS in drinking water. However, these toxic substances are found in waterways throughout the United States. 

PFAS are often referred to as “forever chemicals” because they take thousands of years to break down. PFAS molecules have a chain of linked carbon and fluorine atoms. Because the carbon-fluorine bond is one of the strongest, these chemicals do not easily degrade, making them biopersistent, or able to remain in organisms indefinitely without breaking down. They are also bioaccumulative, meaning that they build up over time in ever-increasing levels in people, wildlife, and the environment.  

Because of their widespread use, release, and disposal over decades, PFAS are found virtually everywhere: in the atmosphere, the deep ocean, and even the human body. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website says that the agency has found PFAS in the blood of nearly everyone it has tested for them.  

 In the summer of 2022,  the Waterkeeper Alliance and environmental engineering firm, Cyclopure, Inc., launched a monitoring project.  During the months of May, June, and July, 113 Waterkeeper groups tested primary waterways in their jurisdictions. They collected water samples from two locations in their respective waterways, one upstream and one downstream of a potential source of PFAS contamination.  A shocking 83% of these waterways were contaminated, with at least one PFAS compound detected in 95 of the 114 waterways sampled. 

Santa Barbara Channelkeeper participated in the study by collecting and submitting water samples from the Ventura River, both upstream and downstream of the Ojai Valley Sanitation District’s Treatment facility, which discharges effluent into the river just south of Foster Park. Our samples both revealed PFAS contamination, with higher concentrations below the wastewater treatment facility. 

The results of this research project demonstrate just how much more needs to be done to protect the health and safety of communities and ecosystems across the nation. We join the Waterkeeper Alliance in urging Environmental Protection Agency and lawmakers to take action to monitor waterways, clean up existing contamination, adopt standards for eliminating pollution, and enforce those standards. 

Learn more about PFAS and read the full report here: https://waterkeeper.org/pfas/ 

Volunteer Spotlight: For Sue Sadler-Paré Cleaning up the Beach is Personal

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Sue Sadler-Paré feels a profound connection to the ocean and she explains that she’s happiest when she’s in, on, or under the water. As often as she can, she heads to the beach to walk her dog, take in the beauty, or go for a swim. She’s always picked up trash along the way, but in the midst of the pandemic, she noticed an increased amount, so she started taking bags with her and picking up trash as she walked. 

“I didn’t quite get in the longer walks I had hoped for, but I felt it was more important for me to pick up the plastic cup that 500 people had just walked by. It was driving me crazy. I had to do something—and that motivated me to take action.”

To date, Sue has collected more than 340 pounds of trash. She’s an extraordinary advocate for pollution prevention and a true watershed hero who makes fighting for the Earth and the environment her everyday goal.

Sue has always loved the ocean. She grew up in Laguna Beach, moved to the mountains of Big Bear for high school, was drawn back to the coast for college in Santa Barbara, and never left. Living by the water, she explains, was a high priority.

Her relationship with the ocean is intimate. As a diver, swimmer, and beach walker, she has had extraordinary aquatic experiences and felt nourished and cared for by the ocean throughout her life. So it’s no wonder that she feels very protective of the Channel. In fact, cleaning up trash along the water’s edge is almost a gesture of reciprocity and gratitude.

“The ocean has always been so good to me that it feels meaningful that I’m able to give back to her. I liken it to assisting my mother when she got older and couldn’t do things. I was able to help her out and feel like I was making a difference.”

Sue feels a strong sense of responsibility to clean up the beaches near her home, so she tends to focus on Haskell’s Beach and Goleta Beach, with occasional neighborhood cleanups around Calle Real and Fairview. She is 1000% committed to pollution prevention and does whatever it takes to remove litter from coastal areas and get the job done right. On more than one occasion, she has had to request outside assistance because the trash was more than she could handle on her own. Now that’s dedicated!

Several months ago, Sue recruited a friend to join her on cleanups and they’ve enjoyed spending extra time together outside laughing about the odd items that they discover while doing something positive for the environment. The duo recently cleaned up Fairview Avenue and stuffed Sue’s car with debris. They participate in Watershed Brigade cleanup events and appreciate the sense of camaraderie the Watershed Brigade provides and the knowledge that there are other like-minded folks who are out cleaning up our community. Plus, Sue explains, the challenges and prizes make it extra fun.

It’s Sue’s personal sense of responsibility for the environment and her commitment to act locally to reduce pollution that make her such an inspiring force for good.

“When I see trash on the beach and it may be seconds away from being washed into the ocean, I feel a sense of urgency,” she explains. “It’s become much more of an issue of ‘if not me, who?’ We know what’s going on with the climate crisis and ocean pollution, and it’s not going to get better if we don’t take action. There’s no way I’m going to look past that cigarette butt that’s sitting in the sand. They say if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem and that’s really resonated for me.”

We’re deeply grateful for heart-driven volunteers like Sue Sadler-Paré, who make it their mission to create a cleaner, healthier community. You inspire us every step of the way.

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