Goleta West Sanitary District will have to pay a record $1.55 million penalty after more than one million gallons of untreated sewage spilled near Goleta Beach in February 2024 — the largest fine ever approved by the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board for a single sewage discharge.
The board approved the penalty in a 3-2 vote, requiring the Goleta West Sanitary District to fund the settlement after the spill contaminated local waterways.
Instead of paying the penalty directly to the state, the sanitation district will pay the $1.55 million fine by funding a four-year pilot program aimed at improving drinking water quality for underserved communities in Santa Barbara County.
The project will include testing the water quality of about 100 private drinking water wells across the region. If contamination is detected, treatment systems will be installed to improve water safety, and households with impaired wells will receive replacement water supplies.
Officials said the project is intended to expand access to safe drinking water while addressing potential groundwater concerns in communities that rely on private wells.
Local officials issued a health advisory after the sewage spill was discovered.
Goleta Beach was had to be closed for 23 days while officials monitored water conditions and assessed the spill’s impact on public health, coastal habitats and recreational areas.
Officials said the advisory and closure were necessary to prevent contact with polluted water and to allow time for natural water quality conditions to recover.
How the Penalty Was Calculated
The $1.55 million penalty was calculated under the State Water Resources Control Board’s Water Quality Enforcement Policy, which sets guidelines for fines related to wastewater discharge violations.
Officials said the penalty amount reflects several factors, including the volume of sewage released, potential impacts on the environment and public health, the district’s response to the spill and the duration of the beach closure.
According to officials, the $1.55 million settlement is the largest administrative civil liability ever approved by the regional water board for a single sewage discharge incident.
Central Coast Water Board Vice Chair Alex Rodriguez said the settlement reflects a balance between enforcing environmental protections and expanding access to safe drinking water.
Goleta Sewage Spill
The spill occurred between February 16 and 17, 2024, when a 24-inch force main pipeline near the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport ruptured.
For about 14 hours, untreated wastewater flowed from the damaged pipe into a tributary to Tecolotito Creek before reaching the Goleta Slough State Marine Conservation Area and eventually the Pacific Ocean.
Emergency crews responded using vacuum trucks and other equipment to limit the spread of sewage, preventing an additional 69,000 gallons of wastewater from reaching nearby waterways.
More than 90% of the Central Coast region’s population relies on groundwater as its primary drinking water source.
[Ed Note: A previous version of this article showed an inaccurate picture of the Goleta West Sanitary District office]
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Hmmmmm, who actually picks up the bill for that fine? I think I know but tell me what you think.
You and I and all the other taxpaying citizens pay for it. But you knew that already! Goleta Beach has been getting hammered the last number of years with trucking in and dumping of debris basin crap, and now this. Maybe it’s called beach enrichment. The beach down there is a silty mess currently.
Basic, we’re chipping in and buying you a bus ticket to rural Kentucky – the only place you can be happy.
I’m plenty happy living here but keeping it a great place to be you have to see that there are always things to improve and be aware of, like sewage and silt dumping into our local beaches. But of course you have no problem with that and just wanna pick absurd online fights. Go run.
Ok, ok BASIC. I will acknowledge where we agree, greatly. The constant use of Goleta Beach as a dumping ground is lame. I’ve caught crap for opposing it since they chose to haul the mud slide debris and toxic waste all the way out here. There’s definitely an air of snobbiness when Cito residents refuse to pollute their beaches and at the same time demand we take their dirt without a peep of opposition. I know people personally who gave me shift for complaining about the use of our beach. Really lame.
“I’m plenty happy living here” Yet ALL you do is whine, complain, and throw down the victim card.
While maybe true based on the whole of they/them/their comments, I was also thinking that we’re going to pay for it. How can we not? Do you think the staff is going to be held accountable by reductions in pay? HAHHAHAHHAHA. Nope. Raises for everyone.