“Nine thousand gallons [of sewage] a month are going into the wastewater system. That’s the storm drain system, not the sewer. The storm drain carries it straight to Santa Monica Bay,” said Barry Coe, regarding the monthly wastewater of the 600 recreational vehicles (RV) that are being used by homeless persons in the Harbor Gateway area—located in the far southern part of Los Angeles—where he lives.
According to the 2023 point-in-time count released last month by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, there are over 9,280 homeless people living in about 6,800 RVs in Los Angeles County.
Mr. Coe, who formerly ran an RV business, estimates those numbers translate to nearly 102,000 gallons, or about the volume of 11 large U-Haul trucks of sewage each month.
And all of that, he said, is being released into storm drains and directly contaminating the ocean and beaches, he said in a recent interview on EpochTV’s “California Insider.”
“I’m not talking about just going into the water. You got to remember the water percolates into the sand, you take a walk on the beach, you’re going to get this stuff on your body, if there’s hazardous materials or bacteria,” he said.
Normally, RV service providers who also collect sewage from rented-out RVs and mobile toilets are required to obtain a license to handle wastewater, and sewage is required to be dumped at a licensed facility. But the homeless that park in such RVs along urban streets are not following such regulations.
A homeless encampment in the Venice area of Los Angeles on Jan. 27, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)
It is common for local health departments to close beaches following rainstorms as litter, trash, chemicals, and debris are washed from storm drains into the ocean.
However, the prolonged rainy season and the excessive amount of water pollution have led to more beaches in L.A. County closing for longer periods this year including Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, Mothers Beach in Marina del Rey, and over a dozen others, according to the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health.
The explosion of motorhomes in the city not only leads to water pollution but is also affecting residents’ well-being and living quality, Mr. Coe said. Residents may find RVs at no-parking zones that block regular traffic but can’t get them towed away due to cities’ contracts with towing companies regarding hazardous material.
Additionally, he said that a majority of the motorhomes are inoperable and can only serve as a living space.
“They’re not functioning so they become shelter, but they’re on the street,” he said.
“It puts them in a gray area of the law in regard to camping … so it’s a very difficult situation to address.”
Mr. Coe additionally said, some are renting out the motorhomes to those who cannot afford regular housing and are committing various crimes in the process.
“There are people that are buying these things from a wrecking yard … and they tow them out to the streets, and they control the turf,” he said.
“If you don’t pay the rent or the protection money, they will burn you out.”
Solution
According to Mr. Coe, officials need to target its growing homelessness crisis at its root—by dealing with drug and mental health issues—instead of focusing on temporary or permanent housing.
“Because maybe that’s how they got there in the first place. And we shouldn’t be doing it in reverse,” he said.
He said that many homeless people have compelling life stories—which people have compassion for—but it is important not to be blinded by emotions regarding the issue.
