A Santa Barbara County Beach remains closed after a massive sewage spill.
During last weekend’s rainstorm, a damaged sewage line spilled about 500,000 gallons of waste near the Santa Barbara Airport to the Goleta Slough. The spillage reached Goleta Beach– prompting a beach closure due to serious health dangers.
“We want to have people avoid water contact at the Goleta Beach area until we can determine that the bacterial levels have returned to safe levels for swimming or surfing,” Environmental Health Services Director Lard Seifert said.
Swimming in sewage-contaminated water can cause sickness because of its high levels of bacteria.
“You may have an increased risk of certain types of infections or illnesses such as rashes, fever, chills, ear infections, vomiting and diarrhea,” Seifert said.
Despite the spill, there have been no reports of water-related illnesses linked to the incident, according to county officials.
Environmental Health Services will collect water samples from near the shore and in the surf zone to assess water safety. Once lab results confirm that bacteria levels are safe for the public, the beach will reopen.
“We anticipate that by the end of the week, we'll have a much better feel for whether the water quality is still being impacted,” Seifert said.
The County Health Department also warns about health risks from stormwater runoff at beaches in the area besides Goleta Beach. People are also advised to avoid swimming near drain pipes and creeks that flow into the ocean.
