Sewage spill closes 300 feet of beach

Susan McCormack

NEWPORT BEACH -- Three hundred feet of Bayshore Beach were closed

Tuesday while Orange County Health Care Agency officials investigated a

sewage spill in the area.

Don Webb, director of Public Works, said that the spill was reported

to the city at about 9 a.m. Monday. Utilities workers responding to the

call found that sewage was flowing out of two different manholes near

Dover and Westcliff drives.

Workers found that tree roots and grease were clogging the sewage

pipes and had caused them to crack.

“The trees grow from the outside to the inside,” Webb said. “Some

trees have tiny roots seeking water. They’ll find the smallest crack, and

continue to grow because they are finding moisture.”

As is standard procedure for sewage spills, the city immediately

contacted the county’s Health Care Agency. Larry Honeybourne, program

chief, said 800 gallons of raw sewage had found its way into a storm

drain that flows toward Bayshore Beach. The agency closed the beach to

swimmers as a precaution.

The Health Care Agency conducted tests on the water and expects

results today as to whether or not the bacteria levels in the water

exceed state standards.

“It’s a very large body of water, and a small quantity [of sewage]

like this ends up being diluted quite rapidly,” said Webb, adding that

the beach should be reopened as soon as the test results show acceptable

bacteria levels.

The city was forced to close portions of the bay beaches about a year

and a half ago when the contractor on the Arches Bridge project

accidentally drilled a hole in a sanitation main. In that incident,

100,000 gallons of sewage surged into the bay.