Water closed to swimmers and divers

A sewage spill in the Bayside Coves area of Newport Bay caused the Orange County Health Care Agency to close off a quarter-mile area to swimmers and divers, said Larry Honeybourne, program manager with the agency.

The city of Newport Beach responded to the spill Tuesday around 11:30 a.m. It was caused by one of Vons Pavilion’s grease interceptors. The interceptor overflowed, causing grease and sewage to spill into the parking lot, run off to the storm drain and then spill into the Bayside Coves area.

About 50 gallons of sewage was spilled, which is considered a small amount, but the agency wanted to take precaution and ensure safety and closed a quarter of a mile, which includes a buffer zone, Honeybourne said.

The area will be closed until further notice.

“In order to open the water we need two consecutive days of water quality samples that meet state standards and obviously the sewage source has to have been eliminated,” Honeybourne said.

The health care agency closed Vons to eliminate any additional spills.