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City of Oceanside SSO Settlement

In December 2010 the Haymar sewer line in the City of Oceanside ruptured during wet weather. An estimated 180,000 gallons to 5.35 million gallons of untreated sewage was discharged from the ruptured line into Buena Vista Creek, Buena Vista Lagoon, and the Pacific Ocean. 

In March 2012 the San Diego Water Board prosecution team proposed a fine to the City of Oceanside of $1,572,850.   The City and the Regional Water Board agreed to settle the case for $770,184, including a cash payment to the Cleanup and Abatement Account and $385,092 on Supplemental Environmental Projects.

The fine was reduced by adjusting the total gallons of sewage subject to penalties down to the middle of the estimated spill volume, or 2,585,000 gallons.  The City of Oceanside and the San Diego Regional Water Board agreed that reducing the gallons subject to penalty was fair, since the exact timing of the rupture could not be determined.  As part of the settlement, the City of Oceanside will complete a sewer line modernization project, which includes lining parts of at-risk sewer lines to prevent similar spills, and installing several "smart" manhole covers that will detect leaks in the collection system before a major spill occurs.