Welcome to SOCWA
Ocean Monitoring

The objective of the California Ocean Plan is to protect the beneficial uses of the state ocean waters. Some of these uses include:

  • Water contact recreation

  • Non-contact
    water recreation

  • Commercial and
    sport fishing

  • Marine habitat

  • Shellfish harvesting



In order to protect the beneficial uses, the Ocean Plan establishes water quality objectives. Besides monitoring the treated effluent exiting through the ocean outfall, SOCWA is also required to monitor the receiving water for its waste discharges – in this case, it’s the Pacific Ocean. To do so, SOCWA monitors numerous “monitoring stations”, which are in the surf zone, at the near shore, and at offshore locations. At each station SOCWA monitors:
  • Visual observations

  • Total fecal
    coliforms

  • Enterococcus

Monitoring map for the San Juan Creek Ocean Outfall

Monitoring map of the Aliso Creek Ocean Outfall


PROgrams
Industrial Waste program
NPDES Permits
Ocean Monitoring
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SOCWA Shorline results

The South Orange County Wastewater Authority (SOCWA) shoreline results can be accessed by the link below. Then scroll down the list of Shoreline Stations to the set labeled with the prefix (S).

The first 15 stations labeled S-0 through
S-9 are Surf Zone Sample points analyzed by SOCWA in association with the San Juan Creek Ocean Outfall Monitoring Program. The next 17 Stations, labeled S-1 through S-9 are Surf Zone sample points associated with the Aliso Creek Ocean Outfall Monitoring Program.

The high number of exceedances at the Shoreline Stations is believed to be caused by urban runoff entering the ocean from creeks and storm drains.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COASTAL OCEAN OBSERVING SYSTEM