LAGUNA BEACH : Repair to Begin on Sewer Line Rupture

With as much as 250,000 gallons of treated sewage gushing into the ocean daily from a ruptured pipeline near Aliso Beach, crews will begin a repair effort Friday morning that could keep the shoreline closed for several weeks.

Depending on the size of the break in the line, which is spewing 100,000 to 250,000 gallons of sewage a day, and the difficulties divers encounter in trying to mend it, the repair work could take anywhere from 10 to 50 days and could cost from $50,000 to $500,000, said Bill Becker, general manager of Aliso Water Management Agency, which manages sewer disposal for Laguna Beach and six other agencies.

“We don’t know until we get in there and take a look,” Becker said. “This is the first break we’ve ever had like this.” Water district officials added that the repair job will be difficult because the pipe is under five feet of rock and 10 feet of sand.

In the meantime, county health department officials said Wednesday that the half-mile stretch of beach near the spill site will remain off-limits to swimmers indefinitely.

“Until further notice, we have the beaches closed,” said Larry Honeybourne, an environmental health engineering specialist for the county Health Care Agency’s environmental health division.

The latest beach closure, which runs upcoast from Camel Point in South Laguna to the northern border of Treasure Island Mobile Home Park, marks the second time that Aliso Beach has been closed this year and the seventh time since 1989.

Tuesday evening, water district officials appeared before the City Council to explain how they are attempting to solve the latest problem. Councilwoman Ann Christoph said the Aliso Water Management Agency “should be compensating the public for the loss of this public beach.”

The agency could help restore the polluted Aliso Creek and adjoining lagoon or help pay to restore coastal habitat or tidepools, Christoph said Wednesday.

“I just think it’s not right for an agency to just assume that that’s their toilet,” she said.

Water district officials say they believe that the pipeline broke on Feb. 12 during fierce storms, although the rupture was not detected for more than a week after that. On Tuesday, officials said the pipe may have been defective when it was installed 14 years ago.

As a result of the break, treated sewage that would normally be dumped into the ocean 1.5 miles from shore has been spewing into the water just 90 feet from the beach.

The first step in the repair process will involve breaking into the pipeline by cutting through the pavement at the Aliso Creek Beach parking lot and inserting video cameras into the line. The work will begin at 2 a.m. Friday, when there is likely to be a minimum of activity in sewer pipes.

While any overflow of treated sewage will be directed into nearby Aliso Creek, water district officials say the creek is more polluted than the treated sewage.

The repair cost will be shared by the AWMA agencies which own the pipeline, including Laguna Beach. Becker said the federal Environmental Management Agency’s Office of Emergency Services is expected to pick up part of the tab.