Sewage spills are one thing, lack of signage is another. If I didn’t live near a beach on Bainbridge, perhaps I wouldn’t pay attention either.

In 2017, Seattle’s West Point Sewage Treatment plant failed, releasing 230 million gallons of sewage and wastewater into Puget Sound. Bainbridge’s Eastern shoreline is 8 miles across from it. Bainbridge has approximately 53 miles of shoreline with 29 beach access points.

Murden Cove’s beach access is Yaquina, and it lacked signs for no-contact advisory warnings for the spill. After working with Kitsap Public Health District and the city of Bainbridge corrections were made. It’s the responsibility of the health district, not the city to post signs.

In January, the Wing Point Treatment Plant failed twice. For the next three weeks, I visited and photographed eight shoreline access points on Eagle Harbor to look for signs. I alerted KPHD to update their mapping to include four areas where sewer spill signs were missing during active spills.

City Council established the shoreline access points in the 1990s and early 2000s, wanting areas open to the public. The city posted “A Shoreline Access Guide” on its website. It was revised in 2004 with site descriptions and historical background.

Hawley Cove Park is an 11.7-acre conservancy park established in 2002. It’s a short distance from the Wing Point Treatment Plant. During the January sewage spills, I asked the KPHD Environmental Health director to have sewage spill signs as well as permanent “Shellfish Harvesting Closed On This Beach” signs at both access points.

I was unaware that all of Eagle Harbor was closed to shellfish harvesting because of wastewater treatment plant outfall, marinas and boating. The state Department of Health posts updates on its website about shellfish safety information.

Hawley Cove Park, Harborview Drive and Ward Avenue access points haven’t posted sewage spill or no shellfish harvesting spill signs for probably 20 years.

As citizens of this exquisite island, we have to be vigilant and good stewards of the land. If you live near a shoreline access point, make sure the proper signage is posted. It was discouraging to only find only three out of eight sites I visited had correct signage. We need to educate ourselves on the health hazards of sewage spills on our beaches, to humans and animals. Signs do this, especially for tourists visiting here.

For the locals, Nixle (www.bifd.org/nixle) alerts you to sewage spills, road closures, powerlines down and outages.

Maria Mason is a private citizen who has worked with the Environmental Protection Agency, state Department of Health, the Kitsap Public Health District and other agencies for over 30 years.