Laguna beaches are closed from Table Rock Beach to North Treasure Island Beach due to a sewage spill in Laguna Niguel Regional Park. Photo: City of Laguna Beach
A significant sewage spill occurred on Jan. 10, leading to beach closures from Table Rock Beach to North Treasure Island Beach. The spill originated near Laguna Niguel Regional Park involving Moulton Niguel Water District’s failed high-pressure sewage pipeline, which discharged 465,000 gallons of sewage into Sulphur Creek Reservoir and subsequently Aliso Creek.
The spill was first reported around 9:45 a.m. and was contained by 1:30 p.m. that same day. A temporary dam was created at the Arizona crossing, and the sewage flow was redirected to a coastal treatment plant. South Orange County wastewater agencies, including South Orange County Wastewater Authority (SOCWA), responded on a united front due to the spill’s severity and ocean impacts downstream. The city of Laguna Beach, Emerald Bay Service District and SOCWA diverted sewage from entering Aliso Creek.
“Unfortunately, at this point, even though we have kept the berm intact and built up some sand. We did get a call from Orange County Health stating that there is going to be an ocean closure from Table Rock Beach all the way to North Treasure Island Beach,” said Kai Bond, Laguna Beach Marine Safety Chief during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “So, there's a closure that was initiated this evening for that area. And what we'll do is we'll continue to monitor the area”
Moulton Niguel Water District worked quickly with local authorities to contain the spill and pumping operations with 15 minutes of the reported incident. On January 11, Moulton Niguel and SOCWA began environmental monitoring and biological assessments of the area by testing 12 sites along the creek to evaluate the spill’s impact. Despite swift mitigation, the Orange County Health Department ordered an ocean closure to prevent public health risks.
“I urge Orange County residents, visitors and tourists to heed public health experts’ warnings and continue avoiding the closed beaches in Laguna Beach while the Health Care Agency conducts water quality tests,” said Orange County Vice Chair Katrina Foley in a release this week. “I thank the public for your cooperation and continue to monitor the situation to ensure we maintain public health.”
Four pump trucks are alleviating the pressure on the creek’s east side to minimize further environmental damage and beach closures, said Bond. While the spill originated in Laguna Niguel, city officials and local authorities are taking steps to manage its impact with daily monitoring by the Orange County Public Health Department.
“This wasn’t a city-caused event, but we wanted to be a good partner, and I think we’ve done what we really needed to do to mitigate the impact on the ocean,” said Councilmember Bob Whalen at Tuesday’s council meeting.
Stay tuned for updates on beach closures and further developments. For information about Orange County ocean, bay or harbor postings and closures, call 714-433-6400 or visit OCBeachInfo.com. To report a sewage spill, call 714-433-6419.
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