VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A portion of Broad Bay is now open for shellfish harvesting after a sewage spill prompted health officials to put a temporary ban in place.
The Virginia Department of Health announced the reopening on Thursday, 10 days after the closure took effect.
A leaking hose inside a pump house along Broad Bay Road caused the spill, VDH says, and sewage leaked into a neighboring yard before entering Broad Bay.
Neighbor Craig Campbell, who lives next to the site, said he noticed water gushing from the building.
“We came out and looked, and water was gushing from the sewage processing building, which is right behind those trees,” Campbell said. “It was filling that guy’s yard, coming under that white fence and pouring into the canal.”
Campbell said this isn’t the first time residents have dealt with issues from the same facility.
“They have regular incidents in that system, and it needs to be replaced or repaired significantly,” he said.
Health officials estimate between 1,000 and 5,000 gallons of sewage may have entered the water. However, concerns were lifted when a shellfish sample collected on Nov. 18 indicated the area is safe again for shellfish harvest and consumption, VDH says.
