Another sewage spill closes North Star

Paul Clinton

NEWPORT BEACH -- The fourth sewage spill in the city in seven days

closed a section of North Star Beach in Upper Newport Bay on Monday

evening, officials said.

Officials also closed North Star last week because of a spill that

occurred in the vicinity March 12.

Councilwoman Norma Glover, who has pushed the city to spend $5 million

to combat the spills, said the recent string of incidents alarms her.

“It’s very troubling to me,” Glover said. “I want to stop these events

from occurring in Newport Beach. I want the citizens to feel positive

about their beaches.”

On Monday evening, about 1,300 gallons of raw sewage found its way

into the Back Bay after a Costa Mesa Sanitary District line backed up.

At 11 p.m., Orange County Health Care Agency officials closed North

Star because of heightened bacteria levels.

The sewage entered the bay near the intersection of Irvine Avenue and

Santiago Road at the Newport-Mesa border, county health officials said.

City trucks mopped up some of the spill by 10 p.m., pulling about 200

gallons out of the bay.

A week earlier, about 1,000 gallons of sewage forced the closure of

North Star. On March 12, a city sewage line near Big Canyon Country Club

became clogged with tree roots, causing the spill.

The two spills aren’t connected, because they occurred on opposite

ends of the bay, said Monica Mazur, the county’s health spokeswoman.

“The area of closure was the same area, but the areas where the spills

occurred were totally different areas,” Mazur said. “This just points to

the fact that we need increased maintenance and monitoring.”

Earlier Monday, two other sewage spills soiled swimming areas in

Newport Beach. Health officials posted warnings at Cameo Shores Beach

when about 200 gallons spilled into the water after a city line

overflowed.

The beach on both sides of Balboa Pier was also closed Monday after

500 gallons of sewage spilled into the ocean. Ruby’s Diner, at the top of

the Balboa Pier, closed its doors between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday

after the restaurant’s pump system failed, causing that spill.

“We had a problem [with the sewage-tank pump] under the pier,” said

Walter Montenegro, Ruby’s manager. “The problem is fixed.”

The restaurant had been closed for about three months, beginning in

early January, while the city refurbished and rebuilt the pier.

The city has committed to spending $100,000 to install a grease

interceptor device -- which siphons off grease before it enters a city

sewage line -- and new sewage lines under the Balboa and Newport piers,

Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff said.

City workers will install the new lines and grease traps next month,

Kiff said.

Newport Beach led the county in beach closures caused by sewage spills

in 2001.

* Paul Clinton covers the environment and John Wayne Airport. He may

be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail ato7

paul.clinton@latimes.comf7 .