Oceanside has agreed to pay a $1.5 million fine for two separate spills that sent raw sewage into the Buena Vista Creek and tributaries of the San Luis Rey River four years ago, when rainstorms ove…
Oceanside has agreed to pay a $1.5 million fine for two separate spills that sent raw sewage into the Buena Vista Creek and tributaries of the San Luis Rey River four years ago, when rainstorms overwhelmed the city’s wastewater treatment system.
“Record-breaking rainfall swept through the region while the state was still under shelter-in-place orders due to COVID-19,” said Kate Buckley, an environmental scientist for the water board. From the city’s perspective, the spills were unavoidable, Oceanside Water Utilities Director Lindsay Leahy said in an email Tuesday. However, the fine is calculated with a formula primarily based on the volume and duration of the spill and not whether it was avoidable.“However, if streets are flooding, storm water will enter the sewer system through manholes and other avenues, sending increased flows to the sewer infrastructure,” Leahy said.
A contributing factor at the Buena Vista lift station was the thick vegetation that clogged the creek, Leahy said. Since then, the creek has been cleared to improve water flows, and the electrical equipment serving the lift station has been moved to a higher elevation. “The Water Utilities Department continues to focus on replacing and upgrading aging infrastructure to maintain services to our customers and protect the environment,” Leahy said. “All projects consider the latest information in environmental changes like sea level rise and increased strength and frequency of atmospheric rivers.”
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