PORT ANGELES — Most of the 30 miles of Strait of Juan de Fuca beaches closed last week by a sewer line break could reopen Friday after a third set of water quality tests is analyzed.
But Port Angeles Harbor beaches, which were closest to the three-day sewage spill’s source, will remain closed indefinitely.
Dr. Tom Locke, health officer for Clallam and Jefferson counties, said Wednesday afternoon that Clallam officials are still taking water-quality samples this week.
“Then we’ve have three separate samplings, which should be enough data. We’re trying to do this as scientifically as possible,” Locke said.
“But if the data continues as it has been,” Locke added, “we could lift the advisory for wading and other recreation [on outlying beaches] by the end of the week.”
If that third batch of test results continues looking good, then the county will probably issue a public statement and take down the closed signs along most areas of the quarantine zone between Crescent Beach and Dungeness Spit, he said.
“It probably will be Friday at the earliest because we want to get at least three good samples, which will be [this] afternoon.
“That’s assuming the results continue to show a lack of contamination,” Locke said.
Port Angeles Harbor beaches will be the last to reopen. Locke said he doesn’t know when that will be.
The harbor was “the area of the biggest contamination risk,” he said.
Locke said the sewage must fully dissipate before the beaches are reopened, which is based upon the action of tidal currents. There is no way to know that except to collect water samples, he said.
