Confusion Delays Closing of Beach After Spill

City officials blame a miscommunication between a public works employee and a dispatcher for causing a delay in closing a beach after 4,000 gallons of sewage spilled over the weekend.

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The area near Lagunita Beach was reopened Wednesday, a County Health Care Agency spokesman said.

Lifeguards reported the spill to the city at 9 a.m. Sunday, after they were notified by a citizen. A public works employee was sent to inspect the site. But when he spoke to the dispatcher, the message was misunderstood, said Terry Brandt, Laguna Beach director of municipal services.

“The public works employee called her and either she didn’t hear him, or didn’t get it right or simply misunderstood it as a problem for the South Coast Water District. And, unfortunately, she thought he meant Laguna Beach Water District,” Brandt said.

When notified, that agency found that the problem was not its responsibility and contacted the city.

However, the city then failed to contact the South Coast Water District, which treats sewage, until the next day, Brandt said. The district dispatched a crew and discovered that grease and detergent had plugged a manhole, and sewage was overflowing at 160 gallons an hour near Lagunita Beach.

The site was described as 2,500 feet long from Dumond Drive south to Blue Lagoon Drive in Laguna Beach.

The South Coast crew cleared the manhole while administrators contacted the County Health Care Agency, as required when there is a spill greater than 50 gallons.

“At the verbal direction of the county, we posted beach closure signs,” said Linda Jones, South Coast Water District assistant general manager.

Brandt said such a miscommunication has never happened before, and next time the city will ensure that the responsible agency responds.

Jones said tests of offshore water concluded the bacteria level was within the state’s guidelines. However, a different testing procedure is used by the county, which kept the beach closed until its laboratory tests showed the beach was safe for swimmers.

The beach was reopened at 4 p.m. Wednesday after the county’s laboratory tests showed the bacteria level was safe, said Lawrence Honeybourne, County Health Care Agency program chief of water quality.

“Our examination of the test results show that it looks better,” Honeybourne said. “We use a different methodology than South Coast and rely on a standard method for examination of waste water.”