VENICE CITY OFFICIALS ARE A LITTLE CLEARER ON WHAT CAUSED VENICE BEACH TO BE CLOSED SEVERAL TIMES BETWEEN FEBRUARY AND APRIL. THE BEACH TESTED FOR ELEVATED LEVELS OF FECAL BACTERIA NINE TIMES IN THAT TWO MONTH SPAN, WHICH CAUSED NO SWIMMING SIGNS TO BE POSTED DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE TOURIST SEASON. LEN BRAMBLE, UTILITY DIRECTOR WITH THE CITY, TOLD WWSB TV THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO UNCOVER EVERY STONE THAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AND THEY HAVE CONDUCTED NUMEROUS UNDERWATER DIVES WITH A ROBOTIC CAMERA CHECKING THE CITY’S PIPES. HE SAYS THERE IS A LARGE VAULT UNDER THE PAVEMENT WHICH ACCUMULATES AND TREATS SOME OF THE WATER AND THAT TANK IS USUALLY FLUSHED BY THE RAIN. HOWEVER, OUR DRY SEASON WAS EVEN DRIER THAN NORMAL, WHICH MEANT NO FLUSHING TOOK PLACE AND BACTERIA FORMED. THE CITY WAS MANUALLY PUMPING THE WATER OUT INTO THE OUTFALL AND INTO THE GULF. THEY STOPPED DOING THAT, AND THERE HASN’T BEEN A WARNING SINCE. BRAMBLE THINKS THAT’S NOT A COINCIDENCE.
