Second small sewage spill closes section of Newport Bay

Warning signs about unsafe water once again were posted near Balboa Island after a small sewage leak occurred during repair work Tuesday afternoon, according to Corona del Mar Today.

Dredging equipment previously damaged a sewer line near the Balboa Yacht Club on Aug. 15, causing 2,800 gallons of sewage to spill in the bay. The Orange County Ocean Water Protection Program agency placed warning signs in the area, advising swimmers and others to avoid the water.

The signs were removed Sunday afternoon but placed again Tuesday, according to the group’s website, which was updated at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The leak Tuesday occurred when workers were testing the line, said Chris Miller, the city’s harbor resources manager. He said the incident occurred in the early afternoon, but he was unsure of the amount of leaked sewage.

“We fixed it really quick,” he said. The replacement section to the damaged line will be placed tonight, he said, but the work likely will go into Wednesday.

“I’m crossing my fingers that tomorrow we’ll be done,” he said.

The county warning states, “Until further notice, In Newport Bay, the bay water areas at the Balboa Yacht Club Docks and on Balboa Island’s East Bay Front from Park Avenue to South Bay Front is closed to swimming and diving due to a sewage spill.”