San Diego

A freeze on occupying new homes and businesses in the North City West area was extended Monday by the City Council until at least January.

The hold on permitting occupancy of new buildings in the area, imposed after a massive sewage spill in March, was scheduled to be lifted in October or November, when improvements at the ailing Pump Station 64 are to be completed. But city Water Utilities Department officials said Monday that additional improvements are needed before the plant can handle additional sewage.

Milon Mills of the water department said that, because of the March 5 break in the Sorrento Valley pump station’s force main, which sent 400,000 gallons of raw sewage into Penasquitos Lagoon, and because of an increase in the number of building permits in the North City area, installation of a second force main is required before the facility can expand its capacity.

Construction of the new force main is expected to be completed by Jan. 15, which will allow the city to lift the freeze on the occupancy of buildings served by the Sorrento Valley pump station.

The city still faces imposition of fines of up to $10,000 a day by the Regional Water Quality Control Board. The board is scheduled to consider the city’s failure to meet a May 31 deadline for completing improvements at its meeting Monday.