ESCONDIDO — At least 60 homeless individuals were cleared from an encampment along the Escondido Creek on Monday after the city declared a public health emergency.
City crews, police and about 10 service providers set up at the Church of God on Harmony Grove Road to help those displaced by the emergency. The creek was cleared between Harmony Grove Road and Citracado Parkway.
Escondido police Lt. Jeff Valdivia said City Manager Sean McGlynn issued the local emergency on Sunday after testing showed water conditions and bacteria were found at “extreme” levels. The city provided 24-hour notice to the encampment under the city’s encampment abatement ordinance and contacted service providers.
Deputy City Manager Chris McKinney stressed the water impacted is from the creek and not the city’s drinking water or wastewater. He said those systems operate independently and have not been impacted by the bacteria.
