Supervisors Approve Water-Quality Monitoring Program

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a two-year agreement to continue a state-mandated beach water-quality monitoring program on Wednesday.

The program, which tests water near storm drains twice a week between April and October, was paid for by the state until 2008.  Since then, the county Department of Environmental Health has had to come up with alternative sources of money.

However, the state water agency stepped up with $300,310 to pay off the current fiscal year, which ends Thursday, and pay for the coming fiscal year, which begins Friday. More funding will be needed for fiscal 2012-13, to finish off the dry weather season. The funding will pay for the DEH to take samples at 45 locations.

Supervisor Greg Cox, who has spearheaded the effort to find funding, said water testing is crucial to both public health and tourism.

The agreement was passed as part of the consent agenda.

City News Service contributed to this report.