BELLEVUE, Wash. — A sewage leak forced health officials to close a Bellevue beach Monday, but it was reopening late Tuesday afternoon.
Chism beach was closed until further notice after someone reported raw sewage overflowing near the beach, contaminating the water.
Lifeguards got everyone out of the lake and the health department took samples.
Signs were posted that said it was not safe to go into the water, as bacteria from sewage can cause severe illness.
Lake Washington beaches have been closed in the past, but usually because of bacteria from animal waste, not human waste.
The City of Bellevue said it was a minor leak. A similar sewage spill happened in 1997 at the same beach.
In that case, a sewage pipe in a park bathroom was clogged and 200 gallons of raw sewage was accidentally pumped into the lake before anyone noticed.
It’s unclear if the same thing happened on Monday.
Health officials took more water samples on Tuesday and determined the spill did not have any impact on the water quality on the beach.
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