Sewage spill closes beach A busted sewer...

Sewage spill

closes beach

A busted sewer line sent about 500 gallons of sewage into the

ocean on Wednesday.

The spill led authorities to close the beach 500 feet north and

south of Rockledge Road, said Monica Mazur, supervising environmental

health specialist with the Orange County Health Agency.

The area of the spill is almost inaccessible Mazur said, though a

diver could take a boat to the area.

“Because of the accessibility problem, were not going to do any

sampling on this,” she said.

The spillage resulted when a four-inch line that carries sewage

out from a pump broke, Assistant City Manager John Pietig said. The

line, which carries sewage under pressure, was attached to a lift

station that served less than 12 households.

After stopping the leak, workers installed a temporary bypass line

that can be used for several months, he said.

The beach closure could be lifted as early as Saturday morning.

-- Andrew Edwards