Ocean waters off Laguna Beach are closed from Treasure Island Beach to Table Rock Beach because of a sewage spill from a sewer line break near Laguna Niguel Regional Park.
About 465,000 gallons spilled from the main sewer line break, OC Health Care Agency officials announced Tuesday, Jan. 14. That break occurred at 9:45 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 10.
“The affected ocean water area will remain closed to swimming, surfing, and diving until follow-up water quality monitoring results meet acceptable standards,” agency officials announced late Tuesday, Jan. 14.
Marine Safety Chief Kai Bond reported on what happened to the Laguna Beach City Council during its meeting Tuesday evening.
He said the main’s discharge ran for about three hours, going into Sulphur Creek and then into Aliso Creek, and then was stopped.
“Immediate damming and redirecting of the flow was done,” Bond said. “Actions were swift and everyone was cooperative.”
Bond said biological assessments were made, and samples were taken from the water starting on Saturday, Jan. 11.
“Even though we kept the berm (at Aliso Beach) intact, we got a call about an ocean closure initiated this evening,” Bond said. “We’ll continue to monitor the area.”
On Wednesday, the Moulton Niguel Water District will send four pump trucks to Aliso Creek to remove some of the creek’s water, Bond said. And, city staff will continue to monitor the water by testing every day, he added.
Mike Beanan, co-founder of Laguna Bluebelt Coalition, said he noticed a fleet of vacuum trucks along Alicia Parkway near the confluence of the two creeks on Friday. He said he was told the sewage main had broken and that the city would put up a berm at Aliso Creek because there had also been a potable water break along Coast Highway unrelated to the other break.
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