Why is the runoff a water quality problem?
Runoff picks up a broad array of pollutants common to the urban environment, including fecal bacteria, oil and grease, heavy metals, and other pollutants like trash. Most of the time, this runoff flows to rivers and the ocean without any cleanup. What sort of problems does polluted runoff create? Scientific studies in the LA area have established facts including these about the scope of the problem: Human health impacts. A recent study by UCLA and Stanford on the public health cost of contaminated coastal waters estimates that almost 1.5 million cases of gastrointestinal illnesses occur at Southern California beaches each year, with a total estimated annual economic loss that may exceed $50 million. Beach closures. Los Angeles County continues to be plagued with the greatest increases and number of reported beach closings and advisories of any county in the State—reaching 2,072 in 2005. NRDC, Testing the Waters, CA-16 (2007). Largest source of pollution. Coastal stormwater discharges r
