VENTURA, California – On January 10, 2023, the Ventura County Environmental Health Division (Division) was made aware by the Ojai Valley Sanitary District (OVSD) of two critical sewer lines damaged by rainstorms and issued information to the public and media regarding the incident.
OVSD has since completed temporary repairs to the sewer system and stopped the ongoing sewage release on January 12, 2023. OVSD estimated that approximately 14 million gallons of sewage entered the Ventura River.
This sewage release continues to impact water quality at our local beaches. The latest ocean water samples taken on Thursday, January 19, 2023, indicate that several sample sites exceed state standards for bacteria. These will remain closed until sample results indicate that the ocean water quality meets state standards. They will be retested on Monday, January 23, 2023. The Division is advising the public to avoid all contact with ocean water at the following beach locations:
- Mondos Cove Beach
- Solimar Beach
- Emma Wood State Beach
- Surfer’s Point at Seaside
- Promenade Park Beach (Figueroa Steet)
- Promenade Park Beach (Redwood Apartments)
- San Buenaventura State Beach (California Street)
- San Buenaventura State Beach (San Jon Road)
- San Buenaventura State Beach (Dover Lane)
- San Buenaventura State Beach (Weymouth Lane)
- Marina Park Beach
The following beaches have been tested and meet State water quality standards. They are now opened:
- Peninsula Beach/Harbor Cove
- Surfer’s Knoll Beach
An interactive map of these beaches can be found at https://vcrma.org/en/ocean-water-quality-results.
For questions and further information regarding beach closures, please contact the Roxana Cabral at (805) 654-2830.
