After Heal the Ocean met with State Lands Commission staff and other stakeholders in August 2015 on a plan of action to cap the leaking Becker onshore oil well, we engaged Dudek Engineering and Environmental consultants to apply to the Ocean Protection Council for $900,000 in Proposition 1 funding for the project. . .

As a part of our work on sustainable water initiatives, including recycled water, stormwater, and groundwater protection, Heal the Ocean is closely following both short-term and long-term water supply planning efforts and as a part of these efforts we recently met with Santa Barbara County Public Works Deputy Director for Water Resources and staff to request a number of changes to the “Long Term Supplemental Water Supply Alternatives Report.” The Report was initiated at the direction of the County Board of Supervisors in order to develop information on potential sources that could supplement existing water supplies. . .

As millions in state water bond (“Proposition 1”) funds continue to be released, Heal the Ocean is wasting no time in helping secure funding that fights the drought and ensures the sustainable development of local water supplies. We are working with public agencies and professional consultants to achieve progress in recycled water, stormwater capture, and cleaning up groundwater supplies. . .

Heal the Ocean's Doggy Bag Program has had a hugely successful year. We have raised $17k so far in 2015 for the County Doggy Bag Program, representing 75% of the County program's budget.

We are incredibly grateful to the following sponsors who advertise through the Doggy Bag Program to fund biodegradable dog bags for dispensers in south Santa Barbara County. . .

After years of effort, Heal the Ocean (HTO) succeeded on Friday, November 20, 2015 in helping win the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board’s approval of Santa Barbara County’s plan to regulate septic systems in its jurisdiction. . .

Heal the Ocean’s campaign for potable reuse (advanced water recycling) on the Santa Barbara County South Coast and beyond continues to gain momentum. We are pushing for potable reuse, which utilizes advanced treatment technologies to produce a safe source of purified water, as a locally controlled and drought proof water supply for the entire region. . .

There was never a party like this one! 200 guests at the El Paseo on October 17, designed by HTO Board Member Heather Hudson, who also created all the prizes for the Auction – auctioned by Russ “The Rocktioneer” Stolnack with gusto. Mexican cuisine, good vibes – and a lot of love in the crowd.

Please check out our Facebook page for the entire montage of photos from the evening’s festivities.

A HUGE Thanks to Our Incredible Event Sponsors!

During a three-hour meeting at Heal the Ocean’s (HTO) office in Santa Barbara on Thursday morning, August 27, 2015, HTO led a discussion between officials from the State Lands Commission (SLC), the County, New Orleans-based offshore diving contractor Aqueos, and Dudek environmental consulting to establish a collaborative approach to address historic oil contamination at Summerland beach. The developing framework, which comes only days after significant oil contamination closed Summerland beach, will pave the way for a deliberate and accelerated solution to leaking Summerland oil wells. . .

Heal the Ocean's new white paper shows the promise of potable reuse as a significant supply of safe, affordable, and environmentally sustainable water for California.

Heal the Ocean and other organizations have called for expanded recycled water use both locally and statewide to combat the drought in California. This paper examines the most advanced form of water recycling available to date – potable reuse – and its benefits as compared to alternative water supplies. . .

This one-page Infographic illustrates the substantial potential for recycled water supplies to meet water demand in the Santa Barbara region – from Goleta to Carpinteria.

The Infographic is the result of work by James Hawkins, policy analyst for Heal the Ocean, who collected and compiled the 2014 wastewater flows and water demand data from all of the Santa Barbara south county wastewater and water districts. In 2014, wastewater districts up and down the Santa Barbara coast discharged 12,403,333 gallons of secondary treated wastewater every DAY into the ocean. If all wastewater supplies were reclaimed, the region could meet over one-third of total water demand and 62% of residential water demand.

Santa Barbara County South Coast Waste(d)water Database – Excel File

John Robinson was everything to Heal the Ocean. In our early days he got out in the field with us, created the first septic system map for Santa Barbara as a gift from Heal the Ocean to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, invented the Abtech storm water filter and set about on foot to investigate Montecito creeks to see if a test area could be done for a Heal the Ocean “Adopt-a-Drain” program. With his wife Francesca Cava (a NOAA captain), he brought in the huge NOAA ship MacArthur, to anchor over the Montecito sanitary district outfall in 30 feet of water, so that Francesca could pilot from its deck the Deep Rover submersible to film the outfall. John did all this with and for us – and more. We will love him forever and miss him greatly . . .