Report: Water quality is excellent

Choosing when to dive into the waters off Newport Beach is as simple a choice as black and white, or in this case, wet and dry.

When the weather is dry, which is almost year-round, Newport Beach’s ocean and harbor water quality is great. But when it rains, it’s a complete health hazard, according to a report recently released by the Heal the Bay environmental group, which rated beach water quality statewide.

“Newport Beach’s waters, just like greater Orange County, showed very good to excellent water quality during dry weather this last year,” said Mike Grimmer, an environmental data analyst with Heal the Bay. “On wet weather days, you want to stay out of the water for at least three days.”

According to the report, Newport Beach’s waters inside the Back Bay, harbor and off the coast were top-notch, receiving an “A” on a conventional grading scale when the weather was dry. When it rained, however, the harbor and bay were exactly the places you would not want to go. Virtually every location received a failing grade after a rain storm.

The report evaluated a year’s worth of water quality reports from the county’s three agencies that test water quality. Investigators tested for three bacteria indicators: total bacteria — pollution originating from varied sources including soil, plants, animals and humans; E. coli — fecal bacteria; and enterococcus — bacteria found in human, mammal and bird feces.

The water off Balboa Peninsula from pier to pier received high marks year round, no matter the weather, as did the water off Corona del Mar to Crystal Cove State Park. El Morro beach, at the south end of Crystal Cove, even received an A+ grade after rain.

The results mirrored much of Orange County’s water quality. The county performed well above the state average and its grades were in sharp contrast to its northern neighbor, Los Angeles County. Just up the coast, Long Beach’s coasts earned some of the poorest marks in the state, with particular blame coming to poor sewage-line maintenance and shipping lanes into the major harbors.

The mouth of the Santa Ana River between Huntington and Newport beaches became problematic after a rainstorm, receiving an F in the days after a downpour.

This is Heal the Bay’s 19th annual report. Officials expressed concern for measuring water quality statewide, as cities struggling during the recession are turning to limited water testing to save money.