San Clemente city officials are serious about getting the water under their iconic pier clear of bacteria and off Heal The Bay’s Beach Bummer list.
On Tuesday, July 7, the City Council approved nearly $78,000 to complete a study that has searched for several years for the cause of high bacteria levels found in the ocean beneath the pier and the Pier Bowl watershed. The city has gotten a pigeon problem under better control, eliminating much of their waste from the equation, but recent testing has also identified human waste bacteria and the source isn’t clear.
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A pigeon rests on a lower cross beam under the pier in San Clemente, prevented from reaching a large number of previously-available roosts now blocked by newly-installed netting, on Wednesday, July 8, 2020. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
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Newly installed netting beneath Fisherman’s Restaurant at the San Clemente Pier aims to diminish the number of pigeons that roost there, thereby reducing the amount of bacteria that finds its way into local ocean water, which recently made the Heal The Bay’s “bummer list” of most polluted beaches in California. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
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Newly installed netting beneath Fisherman’s Restaurant at the San Clemente Pier aims to diminish the number of pigeons that roost there, thereby reducing the amount of bacteria that finds its way into local ocean water, which recently made the Heal The Bay’s “bummer list” of most polluted beaches in California. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
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A pair of pigeons rest on a lower cross beam under the pier in San Clemente, prevented from reaching a large number of previously-available roosts now blocked by newly-installed netting, on Wednesday, July 8, 2020. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
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Newly installed netting beneath Fisherman’s Restaurant at the San Clemente Pier aims to diminish the number of pigeons that roost there, thereby reducing the amount of bacteria that finds its way into local ocean water, which recently made the Heal The Bay’s “bummer list” of most polluted beaches in California. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
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Beachgoers walk under the pier in San Clemente, where newly-installed netting aims to prevent pigeons from roosting in large numbers, which contributes to local water pollution levels, on Wednesday, July 8, 2020. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
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A pigeon rests on a pipe under the pier in San Clemente, prevented from reaching a large number of previously-available roosts now blocked by newly-installed netting, on Wednesday, July 8, 2020. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
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Diners enjoy lunch and great views from Fisherman’s Restaurant on the San Clemente Pier, where newly-installed netting beneath the restaurant, under the pier, prevents pigeons from roosting in large numbers, which has been a contributing factor to local water pollution levels, which are higher than elsewhere in Orange County, on Wednesday, July 8, 2020. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
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A pigeon rests on a lower cross beam under the pier in San Clemente, prevented from reaching a large number of previously-available roosts now blocked by newly-installed netting, on Wednesday, July 8, 2020. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
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Newly installed netting beneath Fisherman’s Restaurant at the San Clemente Pier aims to diminish the number of pigeons that roost there, thereby reducing the amount of bacteria that finds its way into local ocean water, which recently made the Heal The Bay’s “bummer list” of most polluted beaches in California. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
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Beachgoers walk along the beach trail in San Clemente, seen through newly-installed netting that aims to prevent pigeons from roosting in large numbers, which contributes to local water pollution levels, on Wednesday, July 8, 2020. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
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A pigeon rests on a lower cross beam under the pier in San Clemente, prevented from reaching a large number of previously-available roosts now blocked by newly-installed netting, on Wednesday, July 8, 2020. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
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Diners enjoy lunch and great views from Fisherman’s Restaurant on the San Clemente Pier, where newly-installed netting beneath the restaurant, under the pier, prevents pigeons from roosting in large numbers, which has been a contributing factor to local water pollution levels, which are higher than elsewhere in Orange County, on Wednesday, July 8, 2020. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
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Beachgoers walk under the pier in San Clemente, where newly-installed netting aims to prevent pigeons from roosting in large numbers, which contributes to local water pollution levels, on Wednesday, July 8, 2020. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
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Beachgoers walk under the pier in San Clemente, where newly-installed netting aims to prevent pigeons from roosting in large numbers, which contributes to local water pollution levels, on Wednesday, July 8, 2020. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Just last week, San Clemente Pier was highlighted as one of the state’s most polluted beaches in Heal the Bay’s 30th annual report. Beyond being embarrassed by that distinction, the city is also under the gun by local water regulators to resolve the problem or face stiff fines.
“The pier is a popular destination for residents and tourists alike, and it’s critical that we all do what we can to ensure the water is clean and safe for the city’s economic vitality,” Councilwoman Laura Ferguson said.
Since 2015, the city’s water quality staff has been trying to solve the mystery of the high bacteria levels.
Initially studying the problem in 2016, the city landed on the hundreds of pigeons that had made the pier their home as the source over other theories of it being dog waste or from humans.
A 2019 test confirmed the pigeon DNA, but also found evidence of human DNA.
To address the pigeon issue, the city spent $165,000 to install netting two years ago from the edge of Fishermen’s Restaurant to the Zero lifeguard tower to block the birds from finding places to set up nests.
But that wasn’t enough.
The birds were still finding perches on the pier and bacteria levels remained high.
Last month, another $100,000 was spent to hang netting around the rest of the restaurant. And, hundreds of the resident pigeons were relocated to a facility in Fallbrook.
There they are kept together at a bird sanctuary and their offspring will be trained to do pigeon racing activities, said David Rebensdorf, San Clemente’s utilities director.
Official said the pollution seems to be better – since installing the netting, all but one weekly bacteria test has come back lower on the bacteria level scale. But an analysis done on June 30 – a day with slight rain and runoff – exceeded standards for bacteria set by the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board and the beach remained on the Heal the Bay list.
With the council’s approval, work to discover the cause of human bacteria will move forward.
“It’s coming from somewhere in the watershed at the Pier Bowl,” Rebensdorf said. “Could it be in the groundwater or the gutter? We videoed all the sewer lines and we don’t think it’s coming from that. It could also be a false positive from recycled water.”
Though Rebensdorf doesn’t suspect the latter, he explained that recycled water comes from wastewater that is bleached and treated. Human DNA could technically show up as a marker, though it would be inert.
“We know we have a problem and we are looking for the source and location of the problem,” he said. “That’s why it was critical for the council to approve conducting the study.”
The city will wait for the activity around the pier to get back to normal after the coronavirus closures to resume testing, he said.
For many in San Clemente, the pier and Pier Bowl area are this seaside town’s heart and soul.
“The pier is a San Clemente icon, maybe even THE San Clemente icon,” Councilman Gene James said. “This water issue has to be fixed. We have to figure out what’s happening at the pier.”
Source: Orange County Register
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