Independent water testing confirmed that a sewage spill at Willard Beach last Friday posed no harm to the public.

The beach was closed as a precaution after the spill on Friday, but was reopened the next day after tests gave the all clear.

Water utility Siza Water said the issue was caused when a generator changeover switch malfunctioned at a pump station on Hilary Drive during an unplanned power outage.

According to Siza Water’s maintenance manager, Kimolin Venkatasen, frequent power outages continue to challenge the infrastructure, exceeding the original design specifications of the system.

“The outage occurred during peak operational hours, significantly limiting our response time,” said Venkatasen.

“Although our standby team was promptly mobilised after receiving a high-level alarm, the delay resulted in the spill at Willard Beach.”

By the time the team could perform a manual changeover, the spill had already reached the beach, prompting the closure.

The defective switch was replaced the same day to prevent further issues.

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