Twain Harte Lake Closed

Twain Harte, CA — Twain Harte Lake has been off limits to the public since Monday March 10th due to a sewer leak. “No Swimming” signs have been posted around the lake warning people of the contamination.

Twain Harte Community Services District General Manager Tom Trott says, “We had a large root ball and rocks that clogged the main sewer line behind a vacation house just upstream of the lake.”

Trott estimates that 452 gallons of sewage spilled out of a manhole, 347 gallons onto land and 78 gallons went into Sullivan Creek, which flows to the lake.

“We did a variety of testing upstream, downstream and in the lake. The initial test show that there was some E. coli and fecal matter in the creek and lake,” says Trott. However, he adds, that contamination was below the level required by the state to close the lake.

Trott stresses, “For precautionary measures we are keeping it [the lake] closed and have the signs posted until we see those levels drop even more.”

Further testing was done on Thursday and Trott says the results are expected back on Saturday. When the test reports are negative, the signs will be taken down. Twain Harte opened and ran as usual for the Memorial day weekend, March 20th.  Click here for a map of Twain Harte Lake.