Sewage spills force closure of Dyes Inlet

Two sewage spills in Dyes Inlet prompted Kitsap County Health District officials to issue a seven-day “no contact” advisory to continue through June 11.

The restricted area covers all marine waters in Dyes Inlet.

The first of the two spills originated Monday at the head of Oyster Bay, discharging an undetermined volume of untreated sewage directly into the bay.

Waters south of a line between the northern tip of Rocky Point and Naval Hospital Bremerton in Jackson Park were closed, according to the Kitsap County Health District (KCHD).

“The problem with (the first) spill was that we didn’t have a lot of information about how long it had been happening,” said John Kiess, KCHD Water Protection program manager.

That spill, Kiess said, occurred after “detergeants” and “grease” clogged a side sewer line connected to a city trunk line, located near the beach.

The buildup eventually spilled onto the beach and into the water.

Property owners were notified and the problem was fixed, Kiess said Tuesday.

But a second spill Wednesday discharged 8,200 gallons of untreated sewage near the same location, forcing KCHD to extend the no contact area to all of Dyes Inlet. The spill came from a city of Bremerton sewer line.

“This is just maintenance breakdowns in the same area,” Kiess said.

While coincidental, the spills were enough to shutdown all shellfish harvesting and recreational activities in the inlet.

KCHD posted warning signs in the affected areas, Kiess said.

For more information on the advisory, visit KCHD online at www.kitsapcountyhealth.com.

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