SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) — People on Monday were still being urged to stay out of the water in Del Mar after thousands of gallons of sewage spilled onto the beach this weekend.
It happened Sunday near Eighth Street.
“The quality of the water didn’t seem poor at all,” said Nick Jimas. “I even saw a couple marine life out there.”
Jimas was one of several surfers who hit the waves at Del Mar beach Monday and had no idea that Sunday more than 4,000 gallons of sewage spilled into the ocean near Eighth street and Stratford Court.
"Eighth Street is close to here; I’d hate to think I was swimming around in something I didn’t want to be in,” said Jimas.
The City of Del Mar says the spill was caused by an overflowing sewage line. At about 11:30 a.m. Sunday a neighbor reported seeing sewage spilling out of a manhole and into a nearby storm drain.
Del Mar Community Services Director Jon Edelbrook says the sewage continued to spill out for about three hours before crews were able to contain it.
"It was a troubling initial scene,” said Edelbrook. “It was a challenge. There was a blockage in one of the main lines causing some overflow.”
He says the cause of the blockage is unknown
“We don’t know exactly,” said Edelbrook. “We put a jet down the line and blew out the blockage and it immediately enabled it to drain.”
Crews then vacuumed up any of the remaining sewage as warning signs were posted.
Edelbrook says the area of concern is between Seventh and Ninth streets - a 300-yard section of the ocean.
"Obviously, you could end up with high bacteria levels, so it’s not great to be exposed to coliform and some of the other bacterias,” said Edelbrook. "It’s not a great situation but the sun and the tidal activity of the current is going to help aerate and mix in quite quickly.”
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