A sewage spill at the Coronado Cays temporarily shut down beaches July 1 along a stretch of bay front, but the closure was lifted in less than 24 hours.
Residents of the Jamaica, Montego and Green Turtle neighborhoods were advised to keep out of the water after the San Diego County Health Office found that the area was contaminated by wastewater from the Cays pump station, across from Jamaica Village.
A state report says crews responded to a report near Coronado Cays Blvd at 7:35 a.m. on July 1 and “identified the source as a faulty air release valve” which caused “an undetermined amount of sewage to flow into a nearby street gutter and enter the storm drain system, which discharges into San Diego Bay.”
Closures and advisories for San Diego beaches are issued and published online by County of San Diego’s Department of Environmental Health and Quality’s Beach and Bay Water Quality Monitoring Program.
According to Heather Buonomo, who oversees the program, the department’s advisory on July 1 intended to inform beach goers about high levels of bacteria that could make you sick.
“[The city of Coronado] proactively reported that so we could take action and close that water area for contact,” Buonomo, Director of Environmental Health in San Diego County, told KPBS on July 2.
Water contact closures were issued from the ocean shoreline 500 feet north and south of Jamaica Village Drive as well as 300 feet north and south of Coronado Bay Drive, according to reports by Fox 5.
In under 24 hours, the county announced the closure was lifted on July 2.
City reports
The Coronado Public Services Department notified the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) about the spill at 9:17 a.m. on July 1, according to a Hazardous Materials Spill Report.
“Technicians replaced the faulty valve with an isolation valve, stopping the release. Cleanup efforts are currently underway, and permanent repairs are pending. No private property damage has been reported,” says the report.
State law requires that an unauthorized discharge of sewage, 1,000 gallons or more, into or onto state waters must be reported to Cal OES, according to a fact sheet by the state office.
The office then immediately notifies the appropriate Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), the local public health department and local office of environmental health. Each entity is responsible for determining appropriate public and environmental safety measures.
The Cal OES report does not include a measure of the spill. However, a subsequent draft report by the city says 1,315 gallons escaped.
In Coronado, all sewer spills are reported to the Department of Environmental Health (DEH) and the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board (SDRWQCB), according to the city’s website.
The city’s department did not respond to questions regarding the spill on deadline.
“At this time, we are still compiling information for the report that we will be submitting,” said Leon P. Firsht, director of public services and engineering, on July 7.
