The city of Oceanside has agreed to pay $1.5 million for illegally discharging almost 2 million gallons of sewage during what water regulators called a record-breaking storm in April 2020 that overwhelmed a sewage lift station and a water reclamation facility.
The city released the sewage into several creeks, one of which flows into the Buena Vista Lagoon, a wildlife refuge home to a number of endangered species, eventually reaching the Pacific Ocean. The spill affected waters also used for recreational and fishing purposes.
The fine is part of a settlement with the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board.
The spill is one of several sewage system failures brought on by the increasing intensity of weather events affecting the region more broadly.
“We’re going to see more of these rain events,” said Celeste Cantú, chair of the water board, at the agency’s meeting Wednesday. “We can use what you’ve learned from this experience to help other wastewater treatment facilities either to be prepared or to better plan ahead.”
The storm that flooded Oceanside’s sewer system brought over 5 inches of rain, also flooding and closing both sides of U.S. Highway 78. At the time the storm hit, the San Luis Rey Water Reclamation Facility was undergoing renovations required to accommodate San Diego County’s first reclaimed potable water project.
The Buena Vista Lift Station, a pump that manages daily sewage flows, was downed by sewage that drowned its electrical system.
“This spill was caused due to the exceptional intensity of the rainfall that we’ve experienced and our staff took all actions to minimize that spill and redirect water,” said Oceanside’s Water Utilities Director Lindsay Leahy at the meeting.
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