Fallbrook
Treated sewage from the Fallbrook Sanitation District Treatment Plant in Oceanside flowed from a broken line for more than an hour Thursday afternoon when a private contractor ruptured the main outlet pipe, forcing the plant to shut down, County Health Services Department spokesman Pat Hoy said.
The spill began at 1:45 p.m. when the 16-inch line, which carries treated sewage from the plant two miles offshore, was ruptured. Sewage surfaced at the intersection of Pala Road and Las Arbolitos Boulevard in Oceanside and was isolated a short time later by city crews, Hoy said.
The sewage treatment plant normally discharges about 1.4 million gallons of secondary-treated sewage a day. The rupture should be repaired within 24 hours, Hoy said.
Remaining sewage at the treatment plant was chlorinated and temporarily rerouted into Fallbrook Creek, which is dry at this time of year. The treated material is expected to dissipate by percolating into the ground. Fallbrook Creek runs through Camp Pendleton.
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