BREMERTON, Wash. — Health officials are warning the public to avoid contact with the water of Sinclair Inlet near Bremerton after 80,000 gallons of sewage spilled from Naval Base Kitsap.
The Kitsap Public Health District says the spill occurred during a two-week period ending Tuesday and that the advisory will remain in effect until Aug. 21.
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Jake Chappelle, a spokesman for Naval Base Kitsap, said in an emailed statement Wednesday that a blocked sewer line caused the wastewater to be redirected to a storm water vault leading into Sinclair Inlet. He said the blockage was cleared by Monday and that no illnesses have been reported as a result of it.
Chappelle said the Navy didn’t learn about the spill until Aug. 10, following reports of a “sewage-like” odor near the storm water outfall.
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Contact with feces-contaminated waters can result in gastroenteritis, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections and other illnesses. Children and the elderly may be more susceptible.
