Sewage spill raises stink

Alex Coolman

NEWPORT BEACH -- A sewage spill that may have been caused by a clogged

line at the Balboa Bay Club forced closure of the beach in front of the

club and along Bay Shore Drive on Wednesday.

An estimated 500 to 700 gallons of raw sewage bubbled out of a manhole

and ran into the ocean starting at about 7 a.m., said Monica Mazur, a

spokeswoman for the Orange County Health Care Agency.

The smelly discharge appeared to have been caused by grease collecting

in sewer pipes, she said. The leakage was stopped soon after it was

discovered.

Grease buildup in sewer lines is a frequent cause of overflows, Mazur

said, adding that the Orange County Sanitation District -- which

maintains the lines for the county -- distributes a pamphlet on the

subject to county restaurants.

By sewage spill standards, the spill was not large, Mazur said.

“It’s pretty small. The average spill is in the thousands [of

gallons], and the really big ones get into the millions.”

But the high bacteria counts and potential health threats from the

sewage will keep area beaches shut down for several days. Mazur said it

was possible that sunlight killing the bacteria and natural dilution

could render the area sufficiently safe and the beach reopened by

Saturday.

A spokesperson for the Balboa Bay Club said Wednesday that the club

had no information on the spill.

Dave Kiff, Newport Beach’s deputy city manager, said the spill, though

unfortunate, might be a good time for the city to make sure that the Bay

Club is using environmentally sensitive practices in its discharges of

grease.

“This is probably a good opportunity to work with them to make sure

they’re installing grease interceptors,” he said.

“We’ll continue to work with the Bay Club and other restaurants to

make sure that they aren’t putting grease into the sewer lines.”