On Friday, Feb. 16, a hole was found in a Goleta sewer main. Department of Public Health officials were alerted of the spill on Feb. 17, but the message was not acknowledged until Feb. 21. On Feb. 22, the Department of Public Health put out a press release alerting the public to stay away from a 1.5-mile area of Goleta Beach.

The initial size was reported as 1,000 gallons, although this report was incorrect. A closer estimate of the initial spill measured 30,000 gallons.

On Friday, Feb. 23, the spill was measured at 1,025,000 gallons, making it the largest environmental spill in Santa Barbara County since the 2015 Refugio State Beach crude oil spill. Rain assisted in washing the sewage to the beach and ocean.

Exposure to the sewage can lead to adverse effects, such as rashes, gastrointestinal disease, and fecal-borne diseases. There is no way to remove the sewage, so the City of Goleta is waiting for it to degrade naturally.

The beach will be closed until the water tests for safe levels of bacteria. The Goleta West Sanitary District could face penalties for the environmental damage caused by the spill and it is currently unknown what caused the hole to form in the sewer main. Miramar Beach is also closed due to a separate, smaller sewage spill, measuring around 2,500 gallons.