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 .
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.