Roughly 7,600 gallons of sewage spilled into Morro Bay Harbor on Sunday requiring San Luis Obispo County public health officials to warn people to avoid contact with water and wet sand in the surrounding area.
A broken sewage main at The Inn at Morro Bay caused the sewage spill, which poured into a storm drain and into Morro Bay Harbor. The spill has since been stopped. The immediate area does not include a public beach. County staff, however, posted advisory signs at beach access locations immediately north and south of the sewage spill.
“Contact with ocean water while swimming or surfing may increase the risk for certain types of illnesses such as rashes, fever, chills, ear infections, vomiting, and diarrhea,” according to the SLO County Public Health Department. “Sewage discharge is known to transport high levels of disease-causing organisms such as bacteria, viruses and protozoa to the ocean. Such organisms carried into the ocean can cause skin, respiratory, and intestinal problems.