Raw Sewage Spill Closes Shoreline in Laguna Beach

A broken pipeline a block from the coast sent 12,000 gallons of raw sewage into the ocean off Laguna Beach, resulting in the closure of 1 1/2 miles of shoreline Tuesday, said Monica Mazur, spokeswoman for the county’s Health Care Agency.

The agency closed three-quarters of a mile north and south of Sleepy Hollow Lane, where the spill occurred Monday night. The beach will remain closed until at least Friday, or until water quality meets health standards, Mazur said.

The spill--the largest of the year in Orange County--was caused by a malfunction in a temporary aboveground sewage line. Raw sewage had been diverted into the temporary line from an underground pipe that was being repaired, Mazur said.

The water is off-limits because swimmers could get rashes, receive infections through cuts or experience nausea, vomiting and irritation to the eyes, nose, throat and sinuses.

Tuesday’s beach closure is the 12th in Orange County this year and the fourth in Laguna Beach caused by a raw sewage spill. The spill is at least the 48th in the county since Jan. 1.