Vandals Blamed for Sewage Spill

Vandals clogged a pipeline at Camino Real Park in Ventura, which caused 15,000 gallons of raw sewage to spill into a ravine that drains to the ocean, polluting Ventura Harbor and prompting health officials to post warnings at nearby beaches.

The incident occurred about 9 a.m. Tuesday near Dean Drive and Helena Court. It took two hours before crews could divert the leak on the big pipeline that drains much of the east end of town.

In that time, untreated waste water gushed out of a manhole, flowed across the park and spilled into the Arundell Barranca, which discharges to the harbor near the end of Seafarer Street, according to officials.

“This is fairly uncommon. We have minor stoppage all the time, but usually not one that overflows to the storm drain,” said Don Davis, Ventura waste-water superintendent.

The backup was caused by several hundred pounds of materials stuffed down the manhole in the middle of the night, including a 15-pound cinder block, a sandbag filled with concrete, lumber and five feet of pipe.

Davis said the city would weld shut the manhole cover to prevent future incidents.

County health officials posted signs warning people to stay out of the water at the harbor, the harbor’s south jetty, Ventura Keys, Ventura Marina, Marina Cove Beach, Marina Park and Surfer’s Knoll beach. People should avoid contact with water in Arundell Barranca, as well.

The advisories will remain in effect at least through Friday morning while tests are conducted to ensure that the pollution has dissipated, said Elizabeth Huff, manager of community services for the Ventura County Environmental Health Division.

Few tourists frequent the harbor this time of year, and people seem to be heeding the warnings to stay out of the water, said Rick Hubbard of the Ventura Port District’s harbor patrol.

“Things look just like they did yesterday or last week,” Hubbard said. “You don’t smell or see anything. It’s an environmental problem, of course, but it’s not like there’s debris in the water.

“There’s never a good time for this to happen, but it’s better to have it happen during off-peak season.”

Meanwhile, crews worked late into the night Tuesday digging 19 feet beneath the park to fix the faulty pipeline.

Davis said the clog could not be cleared from the surface, and that an inspection and repair can be made only after it is excavated.

About 400 miles of buried sewer pipelines traverse the city. Davis said they are regularly inspected and cleaned.

Anything flushed into the lines can cause blockage, including towels, grease, toys and diapers. Sometimes tree roots damage sewer lines, too, he said.

About five significant sewage spills occur annually in Ventura, Huff said.

The line that clogged at the park has not had problems in the past, she added.

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Times Community News reporter Catherine Blake contributed to this story.