Bypass Line Expected to Cut Sewage Spill : Arroyo Simi: Crews work to complete temporary repair that will reduce the 400,000-gallon-a- day flow from the storm- damaged system.

Repair crews continued to work into the evening Friday to halt the flow of hundreds of thousands of gallons of raw sewage spilling into the Arroyo Simi flood control channel in Moorpark.

Ventura County officials said they expected to complete a bypass line on one section of the leaking pipe late Friday that would reduce the amount of sewage flowing into the channel from 400,000 gallons a day to 6,000 gallons.

Reddy Pakala, manager of the Ventura County Water Works Districts, said repair crews will install another bypass line this weekend that should halt the spill entirely.

He said work has been slow because repair crews last week were unable to get across the arroyo with their equipment to work on the broken sewer lines.

“We couldn’t get to the other side because of the floods,” he said. “Now, we can.”

Pakala said the bypass lines are only temporary and that it will take at least six weeks to actually replace the broken sewer pipes, which are buried 15 to 20 feet underground. He said the entire cost of replacing the damaged lines is expected to run more than $800,000.

More than 6 million gallons of sewage has spilled into the arroyo since Feb. 12, when heavy rains caused several breaks in sewer lines running along the channel.

The two largest breaks occurred along the arroyo near the Tierra Rejada Road and Hitch Boulevard crossings and were quickly repaired. But three smaller breaks discovered Saturday continue to dump sewage along a stretch of the channel near the intersection of Avenida Colonia and Condor Drive, raising concern among the 40 to 50 homeowners who live in the Virginia Colony neighborhood.

County health officials have warned residents to stay away from the arroyo. They said anyone in contact with the dirty water runs the risk of becoming ill, possibly even contracting hepatitis.

“We still do have concerns,” said Robert Williamson, a county Environmental Health Department manager. “But in our opinion everything is being handled as best it can be.”

Resident Albert Ramirez said he is concerned because some children in the neighborhood often play in the channel.

“I’m worried about the kids,” Ramirez said. “We’re trying to keep them away from there because they like to go down there and ride their bikes.”

“It’s a dangerous situation,” said neighbor Anthony Simen. “But they’ve been monitoring it pretty close. I don’t think we’re going to have any major problems.”

County officials hand-delivered notices to residents Wednesday warning them to stay away from the arroyo. However, no warning signs have been posted in the area, which has some people upset.

“To me, it’s serious,” said Becky Rodriguez, whose property borders the flood channel. “I think they should put up signs to keep anybody from getting in the water.”

But Williamson said health officials felt that issuing notices to the residents was sufficient. Signs have been posted along the arroyo at the Tierra Rejada Road and Hitch Boulevard crossings.

Hundreds of pounds of chlorine tablets are being dumped into the sewer pipeline to kill bacteria before the sewage reaches the flood channel. The channel is still carrying runoff from last week’s storms downstream to Calleguas Creek and Mugu Lagoon, but health officials said they are not worried about either being contaminated with waste water because they are so far from the spill site.

“We don’t think there’s any danger,” Williamson said.

Rodriguez said she is also upset with the county’s flood control officials. She said 60 feet of her property was washed away in last week’s floods. She said for years county officials have ignored her pleas to build a concrete wall along the arroyo to divert water away from her property.

“It’s ridiculous,” she said. “Every time something happens, there is no one to blame. They always say it’s somebody else’s department.”

Flood control officials did not return phone calls Friday.

“I understand how these people feel,” Pakala said. “I know a number of locations where there have been big washouts, but who has to pay for this is still a question.

“It’s not sanitation’s responsibility,” he said. “And flood control doesn’t have any money.”