Evacuated Montecito residents got the all-clear from officials to return home, but now they are faced with another issue caused by the mudslides.
Neighborhoods overrun by the Jan. 9 mudslides are now dealing with unhealthy layers of mud in their yards, NBC4 media partner KPCC reports. Sewage from septic tanks, and petrochemicals like gasoline, were carried by the mud, making it contaminated.
"We know that there's high bacteria levels and bacteria, and I'm more concerned about bacteria than anything else, quite honestly," said Public Health Department Deputy Director Susan Klein-Rothschild. "So I would recommend kids not play it."
An outside lab hired by Santa Barbara County found high levels of fecal bacteria that likely came from ruptured septic systems and pipes. People cleaning mud and debris are advised to get a tetanus booster shot if it's been 10 years since their last vaccination.
