Sewage spill closes Santa Barbara beach

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A 6,600-gallon sewage spill has temporarily shut a popular Santa Barbara beach adjacent to the city’s harbor.

Leadbetter Beach will not reopen until tests indicate the water is safe, according to Manuel Romero, Santa Barbara’s wastewater collection superintendent.

The spill of untreated sewage was spotted Monday morning after a resident called the city to complain about a storm sewer access hole that had been overflowing since noon the previous day. Water from the spill flowed into a storm drain, down cliffs and into the ocean at the beach.

City workers on Monday unclogged the sewer, which had been blocked by roots growing into a connecting line.

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Map: Approximate location of beach closure shown in red. Credit: Google Maps