SEAL BEACH : Sewer Pipe Expected to Be Repaired Today
Repairs to a 30-inch sewage pipe that cracked Monday and spilled 5,000 gallons of raw sewage are expected to be completed today.
The initial spill and subsequent work on the pipe have at times closed both lanes of westbound traffic on Westminster Boulevard near Bolsa Chica Road. Officials hope to reopen one of the westbound lanes this morning. The spill from the break occurred about 10:30 a.m. Monday.
About 20 to 30 feet of the pipe will have to be replaced at a cost of about $100,000, said Tom Dawes, director of engineering for the Orange County Sanitation District.
By mid-afternoon Tuesday, workers had exposed the pipe and started repairs, but had not yet determined the cause of the breakage.
Sanitation district environmental specialist Mike Heinz said the spilled sewage was diverted onto an open field on the U.S. Naval Weapons Station, where it was decontaminated and then pumped back into the system. The spill was not a threat to the public, he said.
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