Sewage Leak

More than a day after a sewage leak flooded South Coast Highway in Laguna Beach, forcing beach closures and blocking access to city's main road, officials labored Friday to repair the breach.  The northbound lanes remained closed between Diamond and Center streets according to police and the southbound lanes were expected to be shut down again early this morning for more repairs. This report is from the Los Angeles Times.

About 6,500 gallons of sewage flowed into the ocean at Agate Street.  The rupture in the 24-inch pipe was contained about two hours later, with crews working overnight to make additional repairs.  But 10,000 additional gallons polluted the water Friday afternoon when a pump station was shut down during repairs and sewage backed up and overflowed into storm drains.

Laguna Beach has spent millions to upgrade its aging sewer lines in recent years after sustaining enough spills that water quality regulators fined the city for the contamination.  Orange County health officials closed 1.25 miles of coastline in South Laguna Beach because of potential bacterial contamination, including E. coli and Salmonella, from the sewage discharge.

The traffic snarl caused headaches for drivers trying to get in and out of the city, hemmed in by canyons on one side and the ocean on the other.  Employees of the Tail Wagger pet grooming shop on Coast Highway carried pets out to their owners, who were stranded in traffic.  Dozens of vacuum trucks crowded the area where the sewage leak occurred. Because of the high pressure, repair workers struggled to fit a new metal collar on the sewer main.

After several failed attempts, city officials temporarily shut down the Bluebird Pump Station to relieve the pressure and facilitate the clamp's repair. That caused Friday's 10,000-gallon spill into the ocean at Bluebird Beach.  A faulty rubber gasket on the new clamp forced city officials to shut down the pump station a second time with more sewage spills possible.  Sewage spills shut down part of the city's beachfront in November 2006 and in June 2005 during the Bluebird Canyon landslide.