Ocean Monitoring Program
The final effluent, comprising secondary treated wastewater from Plant No. 2 combined with reverse osmosis concentrate from the Orange County Water District’s Groundwater Replenishment System, is released through a 120-in outfall extending 5 miles offshore. To document that the marine environment and public health are protected, the Orange County Sanitation District (OC San) has maintained an extensive ocean monitoring program (OMP) for over 40 years. The OMP is specified in OC San’s Ocean Discharge Permit which is issued jointly by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9 and the Regional Water Quality Control Board, Santa Ana Region 8.
OMP scientists gather multiple lines of evidence to show that the ocean is safe for swimming, bottom-dwelling fishes are safe to eat, and the animal populations are healthy.
Three interrelated components underpin the OMP. The core component consists of conducting marine population assessments (fishes and invertebrates), fish tissue contaminant analysis (seafood safety), measurements of chemical contaminants in the ocean bottom (mud), water quality assessments, and final effluent and sediment toxicity testing.
The regional monitoring component consists of coastal marine studies in cooperation with other entities throughout the southern California region. The strategic process studies component can take various forms. For example, they can be studies that answer questions raised, but not answered, in the core monitoring component, or testing new methods that may improve the program. The results of the OMP are published each year in the Marine Monitoring Annual Report. The report is provided to regulators, the scientific community, and the public.
In addition to monitoring the offshore environment, surf zone samples are collected weekly in ankle deep water at 36 stations along 21 miles of shoreline including Newport Beach and Huntington Beach to assess the presence of three indicator bacteria. The Orange County Health Care Agency uses the test results to determine the safety of beach recreation. The results are posted on OC San’s Laboratory webpage and up-to-date beach water quality information can be found on Orange County Healthcare Agency's website.
Laboratory
Orange County Sanitation District operates a state-of-the-art Environmental Sciences Laboratory. The Lab provides services for our operations, compliance, and source control activities.
Our laboratory is staffed by some of the most qualified and experienced individuals in the laboratory testing industry. The lab is accredited under both the California State Water Resources Control Board Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program and the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program. The laboratory is also accredited by the South Coast Air Quality Management District for analysis of air and gas samples.
Approximately 100,000 analyses, excluding quality assurance and method validations, are performed annually. Our laboratory operates 365 days a year to support OC San’s operational and regulatory requirements.
Samples are usually collected from the following sites:
- Wastewater influent (the entrance to the plant) and effluent streams (before the water exits the plant.)
- Various stages of wastewater treatment processes
- Industrial wastewater discharge sites
- Water, sediment, and fish from the receiving marine environment near our ocean outfall
- Water from the surf-zone, the Santa Ana River and storm drains
- Air samples from Digesters and Central Generation Power engines
Our lab work is regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), and the State Water Resources Control Board. You can find the surf zone lab reports in our document central.