Fouled Bay Stays Closed All Weekend
Warning signs were in place Saturday at Crescent Bay in Laguna Beach to ward off swimmers and surfers after a sewage spill fouled the idyllic cove last week.
The bay will remain closed until at least Monday, when county health officials will determine whether it is safe to reopen.
The spill, which occurred Thursday at a nearby pump station, is the 11th this year to close a beach in Orange County. About 2,000 gallons of waste rushed into the bay despite the efforts of city employees to recover it.
Swimmers could contract gastrointestinal, upper respiratory, eye, ear, nose and throat infections. Children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems are especially susceptible to pathogens in human waste.
Sewage problems are no stranger to Laguna Beach. The Crescent Bay closure is the third in Laguna Beach this year. In August, state water officials fined the city $60,000 for a string of sewage spills that closed beaches.
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