The Blue Water Task Force, led by the Surfrider Foundation Ventura County Chapter, is the only entity testing recreational ocean water quality currently in Ventura County. Ocean water sampling provides critical water quality information to protect public health at our local Ventura County beaches
The Surfrider Foundation Ventura County Chapter began advocating in 1992 for County of Ventura Environmental Health officials to take weekly ocean water samples along our beaches and to close them if bacteria levels exceed standards put in place by the State of California. The Ventura County Board of Supervisors in the Fall of 1998 unanimously approved a budget proposal that allowed County Environmental Health officials to begin weekly ocean water sampling with a public notification system in place.
Surfrider Ventura County continues to provide grassroots activism through citizen science data and water collection at Ventura County beaches when the County of Ventura Environmental Department was forced to shut down in early October their water sampling and lab testing due to a clerical error kept the lab from renewing their lab license. Surfrider Ventura County completely supports the full return of the County of Ventura year-round water sampling and reporting program (vcrma.org and @vcsafebeaches). vcrma.org/ocean-water-quality-results#map
“After contracting two water borne diseases when I was a young and after traveling to Mozambique as an adult where other adults asked me for a drink of water because their local water quality was so poor, I am impressed that the toxins we put into our waterways and oceans seems to inevitability come back to us transmitted in the water through direct contact or indirectly through sickness in wildlife that spills over to us.” Joy Downing Riley, Co-Lead for the Surfrider Ventura Blue Water Task Force.
Surfrider’s Blue Water Task Force lab typically operates from November through March to fill in the reduced County sampling and testing during those months. Surfrider labs measure fecal indicator bacteria levels in recreational waters and compare those results to local water quality standards. Weekly testing is done on Thursdays and the results are available on Fridays on Surfrider Ventura County’s Instagram @surfridervc and on Facebook. Testing results are also available by signing up for the VC Chapter newsletter at ventura.surfrider.org/
To support the Blue Water Task Force work to keep our public waters healthy for everyone in the event of the need of an extended water sampling season while the Environmental Department is waiting for their renewed license, please donate $25.00 or more through our website for nitrile gloves, testing supplies and water sampling poles to keep this vital work active during our winter run off season.
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of oceans, waves, and beaches for all people through a powerful activist network. ventura.surfrider.org
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Bill Hickman | Southern California Regional Manager | Surfrider Foundation
Pronouns: he/him/his | Why is this important?
619.804.6264 | [email protected]
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