As of Monday, August 20, the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA) has removed the beach closure that was posted last week.
Late in the evening on Wednesday, August 15, the dredging equipment in the Newport harbor grabbed onto and broke the primary sewer line that serves all of Balboa Island. The line was immediately shutdown from service, but not before approximately 2,800 gallons of raw sewage leaked into the harbor. The secondary sewer line was engaged until a small leak was detected in the valve that connects to the pipeline; it was then shutdown to prevent additional leakage.
In an effort to maintain service to the Island, City crews with assistance from neighboring agencies responded with large Vactor trucks and worked around the clock to transport sewer waste off the Island. As of mid-afternoon on Friday, a new valve was installed and the secondary line was put back in service after conducting several tests to ensure nothing was leaking.
Efforts to repair the primary pipeline are underway with the assistance of a specialized commercial dive company that is investigating the damage and will work with City staff to develop a repair plan.
[mappress]
Dredging Today Staff, August 21, 2012