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 Tuesday, January 17, 2023, indicate sample sites continue to exceed state standards for bacteria. All beaches between Mondos and Surfer’s Knoll remain closed. The Division is advising the public to avoid all contact with ocean water from Mondos Cove Beach to Surfer’s Knoll, south of Ventura Harbor.
Beaches will remain closed until samples indicate that the ocean water quality meets state standards. An interactive map of these closures can be found at https://vcrma.org/en/ocean-water-quality-results.
For questions and further information regarding this incident, please contact the Ojai Valley Sanitary District at (805) 646-5548.
