Beach Remains Closed After Sewage Spill
A stretch of San Buenaventura State Beach from Sanjon Road to Seaward Avenue remains closed until county health officials can test the water for contamination after a sewage spill over the weekend.
State lifeguards continued Sunday to recommend that swimmers, surfers and other beach-goers stay out of the ocean until further notice.
A pipe near Aliso Lane and Main Street broke Saturday morning, spilling about 2,000 gallons of raw sewage into the sea.
According to lifeguard Brian Ketterer, that amount of sewage is not considered to be dangerous. But he advised against going swimming for at least three days to allow the pollutants to dissipate.
There are no chemicals or man-made methods for removing spilled sewage, he said. Only time will resolve the problem.
Ketterer said Sunday that he was unable to reach the county Environmental Health Department, but he expects officials there to test the water this week. It usually takes at least two days to receive the results, he said.
Officials are still trying to determine the cause of the pipe rupture. City sanitation workers were not available Sunday to comment.
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