The Orange County Health Care Association (OCHCA) was forced to close a portion of the Huntington Harbor after a sewage spill occurred, it was announced late afternoon Oct. 19.
A boat’s holding tank at the harbor accidentally released approximately 250 gallons of sewage, making it potentially unsafe due to high bacteria levels, according to the OCHCA.
“The affected spill location in Huntington Harbor will remain closed until the water sample results meet California Ocean Water-Contact Sports Standards for two consecutive days. The first spill sample was taken yesterday,” Lauren Robinson, Supervising Environmental Health Specialist for OCHCA, told The Epoch Times.
Robinson noted that the dump station was turned off following the spill and the surrounding deck was cleaned and sectioned off, although it is unclear if the city of Huntington Beach will be conducting any additional cleanup of the water.
The Environmental Health Division of the OCHCA noted that the affected areas will remain closed to ocean water-contact sports until the results of follow-up water quality testing meet safety standards.
It is unclear how exactly the accident was caused or how long officials estimate the water will be safe.
In an unrelated event, the health care association also closed the east end of Newport Dunes in Newport Bay following exceedingly high bacterial levels, although the cause of the levels is also unclear.
