[Updated: Thu., Feb. 22, 6:50pm]
Santa Barbara County Public Health Department has closed Goleta Beach to recreational water contact after approximately half a million gallons of untreated sewage spilled into Goleta Slough during the recent rainstorm and made its way to the beach, according to a beach closure noticed issued by Public Health on Thursday, February 22.
The source of the spill was a force main sewer line near the Santa Barbara Airport that was damaged in this week’s storm, according to Public Health. According to a statement released by the Goleta Sanitary District (GSD) this Thursday evening, the Goleta West Sanitary District contacted GSD on Saturday, February 17, at 10:10 a.m. “for assistance with a sewage spill from one of their sewer pipes on the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport property.”
“GSD crews immediately assisted the Goleta West Sanitary District,” GSD’s statement continues, “providing resources and personnel to help with initial spill cleanup and investigation efforts, including the use of heavy equipment and water quality analysis. The Goleta West Sanitary District is continuing to investigate the cause of their sewer spill.”
Public Health estimated the spill released approximately 500,000 gallons of sewage into the Goleta Slough, which empties into Goleta Beach.
The affected area of Goleta Beach, which runs from one mile east to half a mile west of the Goleta Slough outfall, has been closed to recreational water contact and posted with signs warning the public to avoid all contact with the water until sample results indicate the water is safe for recreational use. Public Health warns that contact with sewage-contaminated water increases the risk for certain types of illnesses, such as rashes, fever, chills, ear infections, vomiting, and diarrhea.
This is the second reported beach closure due to a sewage leak this week. On Tuesday, Miramar Beach was closed when a release of about 2,500 gallons of sewage into Oak Creek near Sinaloa Drive was discovered.
To put the magnitude of the Goleta spill in perspective, the biggest spill experienced by the neighboring City of Santa Barbara in the past 10 years was 24,000 gallons, most of which was rainwater. This took place last year during the especially intense storms of late January and February. During those historic rain events, peak flows exceeded normal flow volume by a factor of 500 percent. Typical normal peak flow for the city’s sewage system is five million gallons a day. During peak flows, it hit 30 million.
The City of Ojai experienced a far more devastating spill last winter, reporting 14 million gallons of spilled sewage. City pipes found themselves undercut by the Ventura River, then flowing at record volumes. Again, most of that volume was made up of rainwater.
According to City of Santa Barbara water czar Joshua Haggmark, the ”big story” here is how much rainwater gets illegally diverted into the city’s sewage system.
“Property owners should never use the public sewer to remove rainwater from their property. All roof drains and area drains should drain to the street or local storm drains system,” he said. “These flows are often the leading cause of spills and damage to the sewer system.”
In most cases, Haggmark noted, this typically happens where there are drainage issues getting the water to the street or storm drain.
“I get the convenience factor, but the impacts to the public sewer system and the environment are costly,” he said.
Second District County Supervisor Laura Capps, who represents the area, issued a statement Tuesday afternoon saying she was “concerned about this massive spill at one of our county’s beloved beaches” and is “working with County Public Health and Goleta West Sanitary District to understand the cause and solutions to prevent future incidents.”
In the meantime, she added, “Please refrain from entering the water in this area until County Public Health deems it to be safe.”
