Monday, May 18, 2015

MORE THAN 100,000 GALLONS OF RAW SEWAGE SPILLED AT LOVERS POINT IN PACIFIC GROVE MONDAY. SEWAGE FLOWED INTO THE OCEAN FOR SIX HOURS.




MAY 18, 2015

PACIFIC GROVE, CALIFORNIA

More than 100,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled at Lovers Point in Pacific Grove Monday and sewage flowed into the ocean for six hours.

Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency workers were doing maintenance repairs at a pump station on Ocean View Boulevard at Lovers Point when a plug valve failed at 10:30 a.m., Monterey Deputy Fire Marshal David Reade said. 

This caused the station to flood and fill with sewage. Power was quickly shutoff to prevent an electrocution hazard, Reade said, but crews failed to stop 100,000 gallons of raw sewage from discharging into the Monterey Bay.

Reverse emergency calls were made to residents in the area urging against flushing toilets and using water.

Crews fixed the valve at 5:30 p.m. They had hoped to fix it before residents returned home from work, when water use spikes.

Scott Kathey, emergency response coordinator for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, said cleaning sewage out of the ocean is impossible.

"From an environmental standpoint, there is nothing we can do mechanically to recover it from the ocean. There is no method for cleaning other than let the ocean assimilate it, allow sunlight to breakdown bacteria," Kathey said. 

"On land you can treat it with bleach and vacuum it up. You can't do that in an aquatic environment," he said.

When asked what environmental impact may occur, Kathey said, "It's hard to say. Obviously the plume is going to spread. Any kind of effects would be long-term."

Marine animals could develop bacterial infections from coming into contact with the sewage, he said. Luckily, there were no sea otters or seals nearby at the time of the spill.

The recreational trail was closed to the public from the Monterey Bay Aquarium to Point Pinos. Lovers Point Beach was also closed, as well as all beaches one mile to the north and one mile to the south of it.