LAGUNA BEACH : Beach Still Closed From Sewage Spill
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A half-mile mile strip of shoreline with private access near Laguna Beach remained closed to swimmers Tuesday after the weekend rupture of a sewage pipe that leaked about 5,000 gallons of effluent into the ocean.
County health officials said the beach at Emerald Bay would probably stay closed until the end of the week. However, it could reopen as early as today if water samples taken regularly since the Friday spill show a drop in effluent levels, said Michael Wehner, water quality program chief for the Orange County health department.
Wehner said the beach was closed as a precautionary measure because sewage contamination can cause gastrointestinal disease. However, he said he did not expect the spill to pose a danger to marine life.
The spill was the first to close the beach at Emerald Bay, according to Bob Blankenship, a maintenance worker who helped repair the eight-inch pipe beneath Coast Highway. The pipe is less than a mile north of McKnight Drive.
A foot-long crack was discovered in the pipe at about 6 p.m. Friday, Blankenship said.
He said crews worked for 24 hours to dam the end of the drain and pump sewage from the beach. Rain on Saturday broke the dam and forced workers to redo the repairs.
The sewage pipes are maintained by a private association at Emerald Bay and do not fall under city jurisdiction, county health officials said.
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