A raw sewage spill marred Fourth of July festivities in Laguna Beach, California, after approximately 2,000 gallons of untreated waste breached a sewer line and entered the Pacific Ocean.
The incident forced officials to close a quarter-mile section of shoreline at Thalia Beach, extending north and south of Anita Street. The closure prohibits swimming, surfing, and diving for at least three days, or until water quality testing confirms the area meets state health standards.
The spill originated from a malfunction in a force main sewer line pump, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency. For local residents Lee and Lynn Cohen, the sewage surge became apparent on Thursday night when alerts flooded their phones. They discovered raw sewage erupting from a broken pipe and flowing across their property before reaching the ocean.
"Quite a bit of flow was coming down there, and it finds a path of least resistance, and it flowed right through our yard," Lee Cohen told FOX 11. "And so we had kind of had a river of, yes, kaka going through our place. And it was a mess, left a mess. But hey, the city was down here quickly."
City crews reportedly responded Thursday night and contained the leak within approximately two hours, though county officials have not independently confirmed this timeline. Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley stated that the county's Environmental Health department was assessing water quality and the extent of necessary closures.
The closure disappointed some beachgoers who had planned to enjoy the holiday weekend by the ocean. Megan Lee, who traveled from Irvine, expressed her frustration, noting it was a rare opportunity for her family to swim and that the inability to do so on a beautiful day was "a little sucky."
Other visitors were unaware of the contamination until informed. Bridget Santos, visiting from Culver City, voiced concerns that some people might not notice warning signs and could enter the water without knowing about the spill, calling it a "worst-case scenario."