Bolsa Chica State Beach Closed by Sewage Leaks

Worried by new tests showing elevated levels of bacteria in coastal waters, authorities have indefinitely closed two-thirds of Bolsa Chica State Beach, one of Orange County’s most popular beaches.

The shutdown, ordered late Thursday by the Orange County Health Care Agency, follows the discovery of dozens of cracks in a 2.5-mile sewer line serving the state beach’s 14 restrooms. Officials believe small amounts of liquid raw sewage are seeping from the pipe underground through the sand and into the ocean.

The dilemma of how to keep beach-goers safe is clouding summer plans at what is normally one of the most crowded surfing and swimming spots in the county.

Swimming along the southern portion of the beach is barred “until further notice.” While no one could say Friday how long the beach will stay shut, officials said it could be several weeks or longer.

“We don’t want anyone exposed out there, and that’s why we took the action,” said Larry Honeybourne, water quality chief at the Orange County Health Care Agency environmental health division.

One possible temporary solution could be installing chemical toilets in lieu of the current restrooms, Honeybourne said, although he added, “I’m not going to say that we’re demanding they put in chemical toilets out there.”

But a sanitation official suggested that stepped-up disinfection or building a temporary sewer bypass might better serve the public.

“My feeling is that portable toilets aren’t the best solution, because people don’t like them, and won’t use them,” said Nancy J. Wheatley, director of technical services for the Orange County Sanitation Districts.

Increased levels of bacteria have been detected intermittently since May 1995 in the waters off Bolsa Chica State Beach, prompting a lengthy investigation that in recent weeks lead to the discovery of at least 44 breaks in the 20-year-old sewer line.

Still, authorities hoped the beach could remain open to swimmers while plans were readied to replace the line this fall and winter.

On Tuesday, when sanitation and parks officials disclosed the problem of the leaking pipe, they promised beach-goers would be kept safe with a program of sewer-pipe disinfection and frequent water monitoring.

But their plans for keeping the shoreline open were disrupted with the news that water samples from Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday showed newly elevated levels of bacteria.

The Health Care Agency banned swimming or surfing from Lifeguard Tower 23 south to Seapoint Boulevard, about two-thirds of the stretch of shore next to Huntington Beach.

Testing north of Lifeguard Tower 23 showed coliform at very low levels that should pose no danger to swimmers, said Charles McGee, the laboratory supervisor for the sanitation district who has led the investigation. Testing of the sand showed no significant contamination.

But along much of the Bolsa shore, monitoring turned up higher-than-expected levels of coliform bacteria, which is usually harmless but is significant because it can signal the presence of other, disease-causing bacteria.

The highest level found was 306 coliform bacteria per 100 milliliters of water, which is below the 1,000-bacteria level that triggers a review of whether a beach should be closed. In fact, testing was done in late morning when the beach waters are crowded, which could in itself lead to heightened bacteria levels, said Wheatley at the sanitation district.

But health officials’ concern is heightened because the source is believed to be human sewage.

“I don’t think anyone out there would like to be swimming in sewage,” Honeybourne said. “The public wants to be assured the beach is as safe as possible.”

Representatives of several agencies involved with the beach, including water quality, sanitation and health officials and the state Department of Parks and Recreation, are expected to meet next weeks to discuss the problem and search for solutions.

Bolsa Chica was largely deserted Friday, with only a handful of sunbathers on the sand, which remains open to the public. Cyclists, joggers and in-line skaters also can still use the boardwalk along the closed section of the beach.

“It’s a bummer,” said beach-goer Kyle Weir, 24, of Monrovia, who was leery Friday of the stretch of ocean that remains open to swimmers.

“I just don’t trust the water to be clean. If the water’s dirty down there, I’m sure the drifts and currents will carry it over here,” he said.

Surfers’ plans were disrupted as well.

Conrad Nadeau, 43, of Westminster, who said he surfs about three times a week at Bolsa Chica beach, sat in his truck in the parking lot Friday staring at the waves. He plans to take his surfboard to San Onofre this weekend.

“Being surfers, we’re the ones affected,” he said. “There’s even times when there aren’t spills and we get sick with ear infections, diarrhea and stomach illnesses just from the garbage in the ocean.”

Bolsa Chica State Beach attracted a total of 885,186 visitors in fiscal year 1994-95, including nearly 600,000 during the summer months alone, according to a state parks spokesman in Sacramento. It generates about $1 million in revenue annually from the $5 parking fee for the state parks department.

Don Ito, park superintendent for Bolsa Chica, said officials could not estimate how many people were expected at the beach this weekend, but he noted that 26,296 beach-goers used the beach during the same weekend last year.

Times staff writer H.G. Reza and correspondent Lori Haycox contributed to this report.

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Beach Off-Limits

Officials have ordered the closing of most of Bolsa Chica State Beach. Sewage has been seeping into the sand and water due to cracked sewage pipes. Until the problem can be resolved, the beach should remain closed, according to health officials.