CORONADO (KGTV) \u2014 After murky brown water at Coronado Beach raised concerns among beachgoers last week, San Diego County health officials are giving the public a closer look at how they determine whether it’s safe to enter the ocean.<\/p>\n
The San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality invited ABC 10News to observe its daily water sampling process at Silver Strand, one of more than a dozen beaches monitored each morning before sunrise.<\/p>\n
Supervising Environmental Health Specialist Romina Schiess said county crews collect samples from beaches spanning the U.S.-Mexico border to the northern edge of San Diego County. The samples are analyzed at the county’s laboratory for enterococcus, a bacteria found in fecal matter that is used to assess potential sewage contamination.<\/p>\n
“If it was straight sewage, you would see it and you would smell it,” Schiess said. “And we know that when water temperatures go up and the kelp starts dying off in the summer, we get those foam situations that you see along the shoreline.”<\/p>\n
The explanation comes after ABC 10News reported last week on patches of brown, yellow and bubbling water at Coronado Beach, prompting questions about whether a seasonal algae bloom caused the discoloration or the ongoing Tijuana sewage crisis.<\/p>\n
At the time of that report, the beach at Avenida Lunar was under a bacteria advisory. One week later, the advisory had been lifted.<\/p>\n
Schiess said ocean conditions can change quickly depending on tides, currents and wind, causing bacteria levels to fluctuate from day to day.<\/p>\n