SEWAGE PIPELINE BREAK POSSIBLY PREVENTABLE.

Byline: Kevin F. Sherry Daily News Staff Writer

A broken pipeline that continues to dump millions of gallons of raw sewage into Arroyo Conejo daily might have been averted had Thousand Oaks followed through with plans to replace the decades-old line, a state agency said Tuesday.

The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board issued a disciplinary ``Cleanup and Abatement Order'' against Thousand Oaks following last week's failure of the city's Unit W sewer line.

The board's report indicates that the city passed up an opportunity to replace the section of pipe.

``A large section of the Unit W pipeline had been scheduled for replacement during Fiscal Year 1995-96 and FY 1996-97 in the city's Financial Plan,'' according to the report. ``Had those repairs been made, this spill may not have occurred.''

Heavy rains Feb. 3 washed away two 10-foot sections of a 30-inch pipe and sent raw sewage streaming into the South Fork of Arroyo Conejo. Until repairs are complete, about 6 million gallons of raw sewage a day will flow from Arroyo Conejo to Arroyo Santa Rosa, Conejo Creek, Calleguas Creek, Point Mugu Lagoon and into the Pacific Ocean.

A two-year, $8.5 million replacement project of Unit W was initially included in the city's 1995-1996 fiscal year budget as part of a $71.4 million upgrade to the Hill Canyon Wastewater Treatment Plant, said Don Nelson, the city's director of public works.

But until September 1997, the City Council was unable to muster the four votes necessary to approve the project upgrade. Unit W was scheduled to be replaced this summer after the council's unanimous approval of the funding plan, Nelson said.

Councilwoman Linda Parks said the Thousand Oaks city attorney told council members before a special meeting on the storms Friday not to discuss the pipe break and whether it should have been repaired before the winter storms.

``(We're) under an order by our city attorney not to say anything public that might encourage liability suits or a regulatory agency to fine the city,'' Parks said. ``We were told period just not to talk about it.''

City Attorney Mark Sellers said he advised the council not to comment on the pipeline rupture or point blame for the incident.

``It's an act of God and it does no good to sit here and speculate on why it happened or how it occurred,'' Sellers said.

The board's report recounts two previous raw sewage spills along different sections of Unit W in the past eight years. In August 1989, Unit W ruptured and spilled 800,000 gallons of raw sewage. Another rupture in March 1995 spilled 12 million gallons.

The 1989 spill was the result of a block of lumber illegally placed into the sewer system that caused a backup and rupture, Nelson said. The 1995 spill was caused by a failure of the pipe, which was built in the early 1960s, he said.

The board ordered Thousand Oaks to explain why the rupture occurred, what the city is doing to correct the problem, and how it will prevent a similar occurrence in the future. A final report on immediate actions taken is due to the board by Feb. 20, while a long-term plan of corrective action is due by March 15.

Following a board review, Thousand Oaks still could be liable for civil penalties, said board spokeswoman Karen Caesar. The board will review the effects the spill on public and environmental health, Caesar said.

Whether the incident could have been avoided will be a key issue with the board, she said.

Work crews spent Tuesday re-establishing a crossing to provide them access to replace the broken sections of the pipe, Nelson said.

``We have to cross the creek to get to it,'' he said.

Crews also rerouted the creek around the point of damage. Essentially they detoured the creek around the area to provide repair workers with a less soggy working condition.

``It's nice and sunny today, but there's an enormous amount of residual runoff from the rains,'' Nelson said.

The replacement pipe has been delivered, and the city was waiting for special fittings, Nelson said. Repair to the pipeline should be complete by Friday, he said.

``With no rain it should be the end of the week,'' Nelson said. ``We deserve a break here pretty soon.''

The total cost of damage from the storms across Ventura County was set at more than $36 million by the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. That total includes $19 million in agricultural damage, $1.6 million in damage in Camarillo and $1.1 million in damage in Oxnard.