Council approves ordinance update to continue to address Pier ocean water quality
November 15, 2023 11:55 AM
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Nov. 15, 2023) — The Santa Monica City Council Tuesday approved an ordinance to prohibit the distribution of food to birds and animals at beaches and the Pier.
This ordinance update looks to improve water quality around the Pier and enhance efforts to address bacterial levels in the Santa Monica Bay, which were noted in the Heal the Bay Beach Report Card.
The update is intended to work holistically with infrastructure investments made by the city to reduce bacterial pollution. Earlier this year, the city installed netting under the pier to discourage pigeon roosting and nesting.
Other efforts to address water quality in the Santa Monica Bay include the 2018 Clean Beaches Project, which captures urban runoff and rainwater from the nearby downtown area and diverts it to a 1.6-million-gallon cistern adjacent to the Pier. The Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project (SWIP), which was completed last year, also captures stormwater, diverting urban runoff and stormwater pollution away from the Santa Monica Bay.
For more information on the ordinance, see the staff report, or the view the council meeting here.
Media Contact
Tati Simonian
Public Information Officer
Tati.Simonian@santamonica.gov
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