Sewage Spill Shuts Down Stretch Of South OC Coastline

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — A stretch of Laguna Beach coastline remained closed this week to surfing, swimming and diving after a sewage spill was reported over the holiday weekend.

The Orange County Health Care Agency issued a statement on Saturday that warned the waters between Victoria Beach to Goff Island Beach were impacted by a sewage spill of around 1,964 gallons.

“The coastal stretch from Victoria Beach to Goff Island Beach remains closed for swimming, surfing and diving due to the sewage spill,” said Darwin Cheng, the interim director of the county’s environmental health division, told The Daily Pilot. “The OC Environmental Health Division is in the process of testing the water quality. The closed area will be reopened after two daily consecutive sampling results indicate the affected area meets the AB411 Ocean Water-Contact Sports Standards. The South Coast Water District reported the spill on the evening of Dec. 22, citing a private sewer main blockage causing a release from a manhole.”

The sewage spill comes almost a month after a 95,000-gallon sewage spill was reported in the waters stretching from Laguna Avenue to Blue Lagoon. Over two miles of coastline was shut down as a result of the spill, according to a previous Patch report.