Bay could reopen Friday afternoon

About a half mile of beach along Newport Bay, from Bayside Drive Beach to Carnation Cove, is closed to swimmers after a sewage spill, an Orange County Health Care Agency notice said Wednesday.

About 500 gallons of sewage overflowed from a blocked city of Newport Beach line, according to an OCHCA news release.

Officials will continue to monitor water quality, and the affected areas will reopen once bacterial levels meet acceptable standards, it said.

Agency spokesman Larry Honeybourne said Thursday that the earliest the affected areas could reopen would be Friday afternoon.

Samples gathered Wednesday, which take 24 hours to be analyzed, showed acceptable bacterial levels, Honeybourne said.

For more information on local beach closures and water quality, go to ocbeachinfo.com or call (714) 433-6400.

—Jill Cowan

Twitter: @jillcowan