Sewage Spill Closes Section of Aliso Beach : Environment: About 80,000 gallons of waste flowed into the creek and ocean. If tests still indicate contamination, the area could be off limits until Tuesday.

SOUTH LAGUNA —  About 1,000 feet of the popular Aliso Creek Beach may remain closed to swimmers through the Labor Day weekend because of an 80,000-gallon sewage spill which county health officials learned about on Thursday.

The contamination occurred, ironically, because divers were inspecting repairs made on a main sewage line after it ruptured in February, causing a large sewage spill.

The latest accident occurred Wednesday morning when the main line leading from a sewage treatment plant out to sea was shut down to allow the divers’ inspection. But the divers took longer than expected, and the sewage began backing up into the plant, said Mike Dunbar, general manager of the South Coast Water District, which operates the plant.

When that occurred, plant officials dumped the sewage in the creek, which carried it to the shoreline.

Although the spill occurred Wednesday morning, health officials weren’t notified of the accident until Thursday morning.

Dunbar said workers at the plant left messages about the spill on his desk, but that he was out of the office at meetings and did not see them until late Wednesday. He notified health officials early Thursday.

Health officials then shut down 500-foot stretches of beach on either side of Aliso Creek. This afternoon they will test to determine whether the water is still contaminated. If the tests are positive, the ban on swimming will be extended at least until Tuesday, said Robert Merryman, the county’s director of environmental health.

“I’m an avid beach-goer myself, so I sure hope we don’t have to do it,” he said. “But if those tests come back positive, we have little choice.”

Beach-goers will be allowed to stay on the sand, but lifeguards will prohibit swimming.

The spill of fully treated sewage is considered relatively minor, but can still cause health problems such as salmonellosis, a flu-like disease, or hepatitis, Merryman said.

The state Legislature passed a law this year that requires local health organizations to be immediately notified of any sewage spill. The law will not take effect until Jan. 1, 1993, said Robert Merryman, the county’s director of environmental health.

Aliso Beach was closed for almost two months after the Feb. 12 rainstorms that struck the Southland. The heavy flow of runoff ruptured the main pipe leading from the sewage plant, dumping 100,000 gallons per day into the ocean until repairs could be made.

Dunbar said the inspection Wednesday showed that the patched pipe is holding up. The district plans to inspect the pipe annually.

County lifeguards expect the beach closure to actually make their job a little easier.

“There won’t be anybody in the water.” said Steve Mosher, dispatcher for U.S. Ocean Safety. “Once they hear there’s been a sewage spill, people tend to stay real clear of the area.”

With oceanfront parking and a small pier, Aliso Beach is one of the more popular beaches in the county, Mosher said.