OC Beaches Receive Highest Water Quality Grades in California

We’re thrilled to announce that, despite above average rainfall increasing the potential for pollutants to reach our waterways, Orange County beaches received the highest grades of any county in California in Heal the Bay’s 2023-2024 Beach Report Card. 

Every year, this report informs residents on indicator bacteria levels at over 500 of California’s beaches. It also includes an honor roll which is reserved for beaches who scored an A+ grade in all conditions (summer dry, winter dry, and wet weather). This year, nine out of the twelve beaches named to the honor roll were from Orange County! Additionally, Orange County received more A’s for beach water quality than any other County in the state. This would not be possible without our incredible team of water quality professionals, residents, and businesses coming together to make a difference. Great job, OC!

No matter where you are in Orange County, you live in a watershed. OC’s waterways begin in the mountain ranges to the east, and flow into the Pacific Ocean bringing anything they come into contact with via the storm drain system. Unlike the sewer system which does treat water, anything that flows into the storm drain system can go untreated into our creeks, rivers, and ocean.

H₂OC works with community stakeholders and agencies to keep pollutants like trash, bacteria, and chemicals out of our water bodies. Keeping our residents safe and healthy is paramount to our efforts, and we love helping our waterways flourish.

Let’s take a deep dive into how our efforts impact Orange County’s beach water quality grades.

Beach Performance

State, local, and tribal authorities monitor OC’s waterways weekly. This not only includes our beaches, but also inland waterways such as our creeks and rivers too. Data from these efforts is shared in Heal the Bay’s 2023-2024 Beach Report Card and all beaches are given water quality grades A – F during the following conditions:

• Summer dry (summer month when sampling occurs on a non-rainy day)
• Winter dry (winter month when sampling occurs on a non-rainy day)
• Wet weather (when sampling occurs during and after a rain event)

In the event that indicator bacteria levels rise above a certain threshold, a health advisory is posted at that location. The frequency of health advisory postings determines what grade a beach gets.

In 2023-2024, OC’s beaches were healthy and safe for our residents. Here’s how we did overall:

• 89% of OC beaches received A and B wet weather grades (9% higher than the California average of 80%)
• 95% of OC beaches received A and B summer dry weather grades (6% higher than the California average of 89%)
• 91% of OC beaches received A and B winter dry weather grades (25% higher than the California average of 66%)

Orange County beaches’ grades for all conditions.

These features stop runoff pollution in its tracks by keeping it from entering the storm drain system. 

On the whole, OC’s grades were above California’s averages and the best in the State, which highlights all of our hard work to protect water quality across the County. Read the Heal the Bay’s 2023-2024 Beach Report Card to see your local beach’s grade!

Water Quality

We are at our best when we work together to keep our waterways thriving. Through partnerships with local agencies, we’ve kept our community healthy by addressing 231 pollution incidents reported to our 24-hour pollution hotline and website this past year. 

OC Public Works, OC Health Care Agency, OC Sanitation District, South OC Wastewater Authority, and H₂OC monitor 136 different sites across the County and the data from these sites is used to determine our report card grades. We also use cutting edge monitoring technology to proactively identify sources of human-related bacteria in urban runoff since this can be especially dangerous to human health. 

Additionally, targeted dry weather storm drain diversions and treatment systems protect our creeks, rivers, and ocean. Diversions collect runoff from the storm drain system for treatment at a wastewater treatment plant. Numerous OC beaches, like Aliso Creek Beach, have treatment systems that use ozone or ultraviolet light to neutralize bacteria found in runoff. 

Lastly, we don’t only focus on the coast. Protecting inland waterways across Orange County is vital for us as well because anything upstream can make its way into the ocean via the storm drain system. Along with our community partners, we have implemented thousands of green stormwater infrastructure projects throughout OC’s 11 watersheds. These projects include vegetated swales, pervious pavement, and trash capture devices that prevent pollutants from harming our waterways and collect rainwater onsite.

Things You Can Do

We’ve done terrific work together, but we need your continued support. No matter where you live, work, or play in Orange County, you can make an impact to protect our waterways. Thank you for continuing to help our creeks, rivers, and ocean thrive by being a rainwater protector.  

Here are some simple ways you can help be the solution to runoff pollution:

• Clean your yard. By sweeping and disposing of debris, picking up pet waste, and storing household hazardous materials indoors or under a cover, you can prevent rain from taking contaminants into the storm drain system.
• Keep waste bins covered. When these bins are covered, wind and rain can’t blow trash and other waste into the storm drain system. This simple act can also increase the longevity and effectiveness of our green stormwater infrastructure like vegetated swales.
• Skip watering before, during, and after a rain event. Overwatering is wasteful and can cause runoff to flow into the storm drain system, picking up pollutants on its way to OC’s waterbodies. By checking the forecast and adjusting your watering schedule, you can save water while protecting our waterways from unnecessary runoff pollution.
• Join a Beach Cleanup. OC’s beaches are cherished all over the world because people like YOU volunteer to help keep them clean! To find a cleanup event near you, check out our events calendar. 
• Support Rainwater Collection Projects. We are implementing projects that collect rainwater all throughout OC. Help their efforts by sending an email or letter of support to local officials, attend a community meeting, and vote in support of ballot measures that fund projects that collect and protect our water resources. Learn more here.  

Keep OC’s Beaches Pristine

Orange County has some of the best beaches in the world. It’s up to all of us to keep them that way. By committing to protecting our waterways, we can keep shining in the Heal the Bay Beach Report Card. 

For more waterway protection tips, click here. 

Thank you for helping our creeks, rivers, and ocean thrive!