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 Ocean Monitoring Video (requires Windows Media Player)
The City of San Diego's Ocean Monitoring Program is the preeminent leader in studying the effects of our regional treatment processes on the marine environment. There are currently two distinct monitoring programs being conducted. The first is the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) mandated program surrounding the Point Loma Ocean Outfall, which handles wastewater discharged to the Pacific Ocean from
the City's Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant. The second is the monitoring program surrounding the South Bay Ocean Outfall, which discharges effluent originating from both the City's South Bay Water Reclamation Plant
and the International Boundary and Water Commission's International Wastewater Treatment Plant. The coverage between these two programs extends 120 square miles total-north to Del Mar and south to Punta Bandera, Mexico, and encompasses the shoreline seaward approximately 10 miles, to a depth of 600 feet.
Utilizing MWWD's two monitoring vessels, the Monitor III and the Metro, more than 350 sampling days are conducted annually. Marine biologists use specialized sampling gear and instruments, a remote operated vehicle (ROV) and dive surveys to collect the wide array of information necessary to define the ecological health of the ocean environment and to identify potential health concerns associated with the recreational use of San Diego's coastline.
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