The Orange County Health Care Agency closed the ocean off Cleo Street and Sleepy Hollow beaches to swimming, surfing, and diving on Monday due to a sewage spill, according to a press release.
The sewage spill of about 600 gallons was reportedly caused by a pump failure at Pacific Edge Hotel, 647 S. Coast Hwy, said Christine Lane, director of the environmental health Services at the OC Health Care Agency. Authorities were notified of the sewage spill at 3:39 p.m. on Sunday, Lane said.
A voicemail seeking comment from the hotel’s management was not immediately returned Tuesday afternoon.
The affected ocean water area will remain closed to ocean sports until the results of follow-up water quality monitoring meet health standards.
The latest spill is relatively small compared to the estimated 1.87 million gallon spill caused by a breach of the so-called North Coast Interceptor, a 4.1-mile transmission pipeline that channels raw sewage to the Coastal Treatment Plant in Aliso Canyon. Laguna Beach and the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board are currently in negotiations over possible enforcement action for that spill, which could cost Laguna Beach taxpayers as much as $2 million.
This story is developing and will be updated as necessary.
