Sewage spill closes beach at Aliso Creek

Mary A. Castillo

The South Coast Water District reported a 1,000-gallon sewage

spill at Aliso Creek to the Orange County Health Department, the

State Office of Emergency Services and the San Diego Regional Water

Quality Control Board.

The spill was discovered at 7:40 a.m. Wednesday by an Orange

County Park Ranger, District Public Information Officer Linda

Homscheid said.

About 560 gallons of the waste entered the creek and the ocean

waters before Sanitary Operations personnel stemmed the flow. Orange

County Health Department officials posted “No Swimming” signs 1,000

feet on either side of the creek at Aliso County Beach.

The spill resulted from a pumping failure at the Aliso Creek lift

station that pumps wastewater from Dana Point and South Laguna to the

Coastal Treatment Plant in Aliso Canyon. The lift station was fully

operational by mid-morning.

“We’re still working on what caused the pumping failure,”

Homscheid said.

The water district expects to provide a complete and final report

to the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Last month the regional board served the water district with an

administrative civil liability complaint alleging violations in

complying with general waste discharge requirements and a section of

the California Water Code. The water district has not released a

formal response to the complaint, Homscheid said.

The board of directors has discussed the complaint in closed

sessions and is working with the regional board, she said. The water

district will formally answer the complaint on Jan. 23 in

anticipation of a hearing on Feb. 5.

If the water district waives a public hearing or is found to be

guilty of the violations, it may be liable for up to $136,100 in

fines.