East Beach in Santa Barbara remained closed to the public on Tuesday after sewage spilled into Mission Creek in late December due to an issue with a nearby pump system.
Officials said Monday they were still waiting for test results from water around East Beach so they can reopen the area to the public.
The Santa Barbara County Health Department announced on Dec. 24 that approximately 4,500 gallons of untreated sewage spilled, causing a closure of East Beach about 1/4-mile east to 1/8-mile west of the Mission Creek outfall.
The area is closed for recreational water contact.
According to Jason Johnston, director of Environmental Health Services, the county needs to conduct tests to see if the contamination level is within standards set by the state of California.
The department conducted tests last week, and the first test came back higher than state standards.
Johnston said a second test was conducted on Friday, but the department will need another test before it reopens the beach.
“Even if the (sample from Dec. 30) is clear, we wouldn’t reopen it until we get a second sample,” Johnston said. “Which this rainfall has created its own issue because of all the washing and flushing from the streets and everything into the storm drains and then into the creeks.”
The sewage spill was caused by a pump bypass failure on the 2700 block of De La Vina Street, according to Environmental Health Services.
Thomas Welche, the wastewater system manager for the City of Santa Barbara, said pumps were installed as part of the De La Vina Bridge Project. The amount of rainwater was higher than anticipated, resulting in overflow.
“City staff responded to the overflow and coordinated with the contractor to increase pumping to stop the overflow,” Welche said. “Since the site was under construction, some of the overflow was contained in the construction site and was recovered.”
The bypass system was adjusted to increase the amount of pumping, according to Welche.
The De La Vina Bridge Project will include new sewer pipes under the bridge, allowing for a greater volume of water to flow through. The bypass system was installed to pump water as contractors continue their work on the bridge.
Welche said the new sewer pipes are expected to be completed and put into service within the next few months.
In addition to East Beach being closed to recreational water contact, the Health Department warns the public to wait at least three days after a rainstorm before swimming in the ocean.
Untreated rainwater that flows through the drain system into creeks, the ocean, and other waterways may increase the risk for certain types of illnesses.
Those include rashes, fever, chills, ear infections, vomiting, and diarrhea for swimmers, surfers or others who come into contact with the storm water.