Sewage spill shuts 1,000 feet of Newport Harbor

A sewage spill Monday in Newport Harbor closed about 1,000 feet of the waterway to divers and swimmers.

Roots clogged a pipe at Newport Center Drive and Civic Center Drive, and the backup pushed about 500 gallons of sewage into a nearby storm drain, said Larry Honeybourne, a spokesman for the Orange County Health Care Agency.

That drain carried the sewage to the harbor, where it emptied out near the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club in Corona del Mar, Honeybourne said.

Although there are no beaches in the area, Honeybourne said the agency still had to warn people to stay out of the contaminated water.

“There are commercial divers that actually work on boats,” he said. “We want to make sure they’re aware the water is unsuitable to go in.”

Newport Beach city crews repaired the sewer line, according to the Health Care Agency. Wednesday is the soonest the stretch of harbor could reopen, Honeybourne said.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck