<font color=”RED”>BREAKING NEWS</font> Sewage spill small, beach won’t reopen until Friday

A 200-gallon sewage spill Tuesday forced the closing of a portion of the Newport Harbor to swimmers and surfers until Friday morning at least.

The spill, which probably came from a city pipeline, was minor and bacteria quantities should be down to acceptable levels by Wednesday, according to Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff. It was reported at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.

“It’s a pretty small spill. We hate spills generally, though, so it’s disappointing when this happens,” Kiff said.

There is a minimum required closure time of three days, which means the stretch of beach from Bayside Drive Beach to Bayside Place will not be open until Friday morning at the earliest.

The Orange County Health Care Agency monitors the water quality daily. Interested residents can check ocbeachinfo.com to get information before going in the water.

— Alan Blank