Stormwater Treatment Controls

To improve the water quality of stormwater runoff, UC San Diego has installed innovative treatment systems at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and throughout the main campus to prevent pollutants and dry weather flow discharges such as irrigation runoff and wash water from reaching the ocean. 

The University’s Storm Water Management Program, including the Storm Water Management Plan, source control Best Management Practices, and an inventory of the treatment controls that have been installed to prevent stormwater pollution, is summarized at stormwater.ucsd.edu.

Twice a year, once during dry weather and one during wet weather, the university analyzes the seawater discharge outfalls for the constituents in the California Ocean Plan, for chronic toxicity, and for indicator bacteria. Outfall 2, the storm water outfall, is monitored once per year during the wet weather monitoring for the same constituents.  In addition, the surf zone on both sides of the pier is monitored for bacteria (fecal coliform, total coliform, and Enterococcus) on a weekly basis.

Questions about the UC San Diego outfall system can be directed to Kimberly O’Connell with Environment, Health, and Safety at koconnell@ucsd.edu.