Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Sewage spill closes streets, beach in Laguna
Sewage seeped out of a sewage pump station and into a storm drain that empties out at Bluebird Beach, officials said.
By SALVADOR HERNANDEZ
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

LAGUNA BEACH A broken pipe at a city sewage pump station has sent sewage into an adjacent street and into the beach, forcing officials to close both because of the waste.

City officials closed down more than four miles of coastline, including Bluebird beach and adjacent beaches, early this morning after an alarm went off at the pumping station after 2 a.m., warning officials of a potential problem, said Sgt. Jason Kravetz of the Laguna Beach Police Department.

City work crews discovered the pump station, located on Galen Drive, flooded with sewage that was seeping into the street, according to a statement from City Manager Ken Frank.

"There's just a lot of it in the area," Kravetz said.

The waste from the station has been going into a storm drain that drains into Bluebird Beach, making officials initially close down about a half-mile portion of the beach. By 8:30 a.m., officials decided to close down about two miles of beaches in both the north and south directions of the coastline.
After pumping out some of the sewage from the station, crews discovered a pipe that was separated, making sewage leak out.

Crews are working to repair the problem, Kravetz said.

Officials from the city's public works, police, fire departments have called in extra personnel to deal with the closures and the sewage, Kravetz said. Officials from City Hall, as well as council members, have also responded to the station.

City officials have closed down all of Galen Drive, as well as Glenneyre Street, from Bluebird Canyon Drive to Calliope Street, Kravetz said. Bluebird Canyon Road is closed from South Coast Highway to Glenneyre Street.

Coast Highway has not been shut down as of 8 a.m., but commuters with a possible alternate route should consider using it, according to the statement from Frank, the city manager.

More information to come.

Contact the writer: shernandez@ocregister.com or 949-454-7361