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Sewage spill closes West Newport Bay channels until at least Wednesday

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Channels near Newport Boulevard and West Coast Highway in Newport Beach were closed for swimming and diving until further notice as a result of a weekend sewage spill, county health officials said Monday.

The Orange County Health Care Agency closed West Newport Bay waters between 33rd and 43rd streets Saturday night after a pressurized sewer line leaked waste, said Larry Honeybourne, assistant director of the agency’s environmental health division.

The leak, along with runoff from Friday night’s rainfall, increased pollution levels past federal standards, Honeybourne said.

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The agency will continue to sample water quality until tests show two days of clean conditions. The earliest that the area could be reopened would be Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

—Hannah Fry

@HannahFryTCN

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