Sanitation Sleuths Stalk Sewage Spill

Stepping into another summer weekend with a substantially closed-off coast at Huntington Beach, city and county officials are increasing efforts to find the source of an apparent sewage leak that could be Orange County’s worst in decades.

On Friday, several workers started a round-the-clock effort to clear debris from a portion of the Orange County Sanitation District’s 7-foot-wide main sewage pipe, which officials initially believed to be the source of the leak.

The leak was first suspected June 30, when fecal and other bacteria levels found at Huntington State Beach were more than 10 times higher than normal levels.

Based on sample collections, the leak could be dumping as much as 1 million gallons of raw sewage a day into the ocean near the beach, said Charles McGee, laboratory supervisor for the county Sanitation District. But because they don’t know the source, and therefore the proximity to the bacteria collection sites, it could be anywhere from a few hundred to a million gallons a day, he said.

After more than seven weeks of investigating, many are skeptical about the likelihood that the county Sanitation District’s main pipe is the culprit. Over the last few weeks, workers have surveyed most of the pipe by remote-controlled camera and found no leaks. Also, the steel-reinforced pipe is only 20 years old and should last another 20 to 30 years before deteriorating, said Don McIntyre, manager for the Sanitation District.

The portion of the pipe the county is clearing this weekend, difficult to inspect because it is U-shaped, already was examined last weekend by a different method, but officials found no leaks.

The county’s next strategy is to survey the pipes by boat a few hundred feet off the shore. Officials also will review building permits and approach developers who might have inadvertently hooked up their sewage line to a storm drain.

“We’ve done half a dozen things to isolate it, and nothing’s worked,” McIntyre said. “This is a real puzzle.”

So far the district has spent $250,000 to find the source of the leak. McIntyre said the county could spend another $1 million finding and fixing the problem.

Historically, most sewage leaks have been caused by heavy rains that wash out pipes. Last year, 21 million gallons of sewage flowed into the Huntington State Beach area via the Santa Ana River when a riverbed pipeline was washed out. Four years ago, between 2 million and 10 million gallons of sewage flowed into the ocean when a pipeline was washed out of a creek in Irvine.

But the not-so-obvious nature of the present leak has dozens of city staff members and engineers scratching their heads and hunting for clues to determine the cause.

Already, the county has searched most of the main pipe between Beach Boulevard and Brookhurst Street and is intensely monitoring bacteria levels while watching for patterns corresponding with the tide level. But the bacteria levels continue to ebb and rise with no logical pattern, McGee said.

The southern swell that spread the bacteria south and caused the 900-foot closure of Huntington City Beach on Wednesday added to the seriousness.

State parks and Huntington Beach city officials, who have been receiving dozens of complaints over the last few weeks, reiterated the urgency of the search Friday.

“The public is definitely not very happy with us,” said Don Ito, superintendent for the California State Parks. “Unfortunately, they have gotten the impression that we haven’t been doing anything. But we’re not giving up. It’s very perplexing and very frustrating.”

While several trucks and cranes removed debris from the pipe Friday, roller-bladers and cyclists breezed by, some looking amused, some noting the smell.

“It smells pretty bad,” said Brandon McCarthy, 21, who lives across the street from the beach and said he usually swims, surfs or body boards there every day. Over the last few weeks, he’s been biking and walking his dog instead. “I’m bummed.”

Johnny Milas said he’d think twice before swimming at the beach again.

“I’ve had two ear infections, one from Huntington, and I’m not looking for another,” said Milas, 40, who was roller-blading with a friend along the beach Friday. “It’s kind of a shame, because this isn’t much to look at,” he said, pointing at the red ribbon cutting off access to the beach, “but maybe this will make us more careful.”

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An Elusive Leak

Samples of bacteria gathered at Huntington’s beaches reached dangerous levels in late June, and have since risen and fallen, following no pattern. Officials will search inland and offshore for the source of the contaminated water.

Bacteria counts per 100 ml at Pacfic Coast Highway and Newland:

Total coliform bacteria

June 29, 1999 -- 20 bacteria

June 30, 1999 -- 230 bacteria

Aug. 12 -- 1300 bacteria

Aug. 17 (most current) -- none

Fecal coliform bacteria:

June 29, 1999 -- none detected

June 30, 1999 -- 230 bacteria

Aug. 12 -- 1300

Aug. 17 -- none

Interocoxy bacteria:

June 29, -- 18 bacteria

June 30 -- 120 bacteria

Aug. 12 -- 236

Aug. 17 -- 108

Source: Orange County Sanitation District