For years, local residents and beachgoers were vexed by the periodic formation of a large foamy pond of polluted water at the outfall of a storm drain pipe on Padaro Beach in Carpinteria.  At high tide, this polluted water would often get washed out to sea.

Local residents first brought this to Channelkeeper’s attention in 2003.  Channelkeeper, determined to find a solution, undertook an investigation of the situation. We conducted sampling at the outfall on numerous occasions and found that the ponded water contained extremely high levels of indicator bacteria and therefore posed a threat to public health and the environment. We discovered that the Santa Barbara Polo Club, located on the opposite side of Highway 101 from Padaro Beach, was the primary source.

We learned that Santa Barbara County Environmental Health Services had been aware of the problem for several years and had even conducted its own sampling, with similar results.  A County inspection of the Polo Club had found that the appropriate “Best Management Practices” were not being properly employed, and that wastewater from the stable and horse washing areas was being improperly discharged to storm drains that emptied onto the beach.

Unfortunately, the County did little to remedy the problem, so Channelkeeper took matters into our own hands and filed a lawsuit against the Polo Club in February 2005. The federal Clean Water Act prohibits the discharge of pollutants from a “point source” to waters of the United States unless in compliance with a permit. The Polo Club did not have such a permit. Our lawsuit also found the Polo Club in violation of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which prohibits the disposal of solid waste (including manure and other stable wastes) that may endanger public health or the environment.

After more than a year of difficult negotiations, we reached a settlement agreement with the Polo Club under which they had to clean up their facility and stop polluting Padaro Beach. Click  here to read our press release.

Under our agreement, the large storm drain pipe that conveyed Polo Club water to the beach is now sealed during the summer so that no water escapes from the Club. Since the peak polo season – when far more horses are on site – occurs during the summer, this measure will provide much-needed protection for beachgoers against health risks associated with exposure to polluted discharges from the Club.

The Polo Club was also required to implement a host of Best Management Practices during the rainy season to prevent rainwater running off their facility from becoming contaminated with horse waste. They now conduct regular water quality sampling at their facility to assess the effectiveness of these practices in eliminating pollution from the Club. If sampling reveals any ongoing pollution problems, the Club will be required to replace the extensive area of exposed dirt where horses are currently kept with covered barns, gutters and piping to prevent rainwater from hitting the ground and becoming polluted before it goes down the storm drains.

Sampling conducted since the execution of our settlement agreement demonstrates that stormwater running off the Polo Club’s property in the rainy season contains lower levels of bacteria than stormwater running onto the property, indicating that the Best Management Practices implemented by the Club are working.

As a result of this Channelkeeper victory, residents and visitors can now rest easier knowing that Padaro Beach is a cleaner, safer place to walk, swim, surf and play.