Beach near Bluebird Canyon Drive remains closed after sewage spill

A 500-foot stretch of beach at the end of Bluebird Canyon Drive in Laguna Beach remained closed Thursday morning after a sewage spill Sunday.

The Orange County Health Care Agency was awaiting results from water samples taken Wednesday that measure the amount of bacteria, county water quality program manager Anthony Martinez said.

Health officials need two consecutive days of samples showing “acceptable levels” before reopening the beach to the public. The agency deemed Tuesday’s samples satisfactory, an improvement over Monday’s levels, Martinez said.

The agency closed the beach to all swimming and diving Sunday night after the 550-gallon spill.

City crews told Martinez that tree roots and rags blocked a private sewer pipe in the 1800 block of Catalina Street, forcing waste up through a clean-out, a capped pipe that provides access to a sewer line.

Rags often mean flushable wipes, Martinez said.

Laguna’s Water Quality Director David Shissler said the spill could have been prevented.

“It was a private sewer lateral, with roots in a lined pipe, so it’s not something we have any control over,” Shissler said. “The owner knew there was a problem [before the spill] and didn’t call anyone. If people are more proactive, it helps everybody.”

This is the second spill near the end of Bluebird Canyon Drive in less than a month.

The health care agency closed a 1,000-foot stretch of beach because of a 200 gallon sewage spill on Jan. 5.

Tree roots and sewage clogged a pipe near Rim Rock Canyon Road, causing debris to seep through manhole covers and run into storm drains.