Southern California Beaches Shut Down After Sewage Spill

By Jess Smith (staff@latinpost.com) First Posted: Jan 03, 2022 03:38 AM EST

LOS ANGELES - AUGUST 09: Warning signs keep bathers out of the water at the south end of Venice Beach on August 9, 2006 in Los Angeles, California. The closure of a two-mile stretch of beach near Ballona Creek, after a pumping station failure sent between 20,000 and 30,000 gallons of raw sewage into the ocean, is a common problem on many Los Angeles and Orange County beaches. According to a recently released study by the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) and Stanford University researches, pollution on Southern California beaches affects 1.5 million people each year. Reportedly, between 627,800 and 1,479,200 "excess" cases of gastrointestinal illness, generally associated with swimming in contaminated water, inflicts symptoms like stomach cramps, diarrhea and nausea. Healthcare costs for illnesses related to beach bacteria run from approximate $21 million to $414 millions a year. (Photo : Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

Following the collapse of a section of the sewage system run by Los Angeles County, Southern California beaches were closed down over the holiday weekend as around 7 million gallons of wastewater that were untreated spilled into the ocean, Friday night.

According to Los Angeles Sanitation Districts, the spill happened because the sewage system was overwhelmed by the heavy rainfall brought by a series of storms in December. This resulted in the collapse of the sewage system sending untreated water and debris into the ocean, NBC News reported.

The collapse was first reported in the City of Carson on Friday night. An emergency contractor immediately set up pumps to resolve the problem. However, sewage water continued to make its way into the sea the following day.

On New Year's Day, additional bypass systems were installed and helped end the spill overnight, according to LA Sanitation Districts officials.

Coastal closures were imposed as stated by officials from the affected counties, including areas from Huntington beach to the south to Rancho Palos Verdes to the north.

Events and Recreational Swimming Cancelled

About 7-miles of bayfront areas and beaches in Long Beach were closed down, according to health officials. They also stated that before reopening the coastline, they would need to test the bacteria levels in the water and make sure that they are not hazardous.

Back in October, some of the beaches were also closed down after an oil spill caused by a breach of the pipeline in Huntington Beach released more than 25,000 gallons of crude oil into the ocean.

Events that were supposed to take place on New Year's Day were also canceled, including the 70th Annual Polar Bear Swim at Cabrillo Beach in Los Angeles.

Probe on Faulty Infrastructure to Be Conducted

Janice Hahn, supervisor of the LA County has called for a probe to be conducted by the Sanitation District to determine if the faulty and aging infrastructure was to be blamed for the spill.

During the holidays, the shoreline was free from tourists due to the frigid water temperatures, but officials have become concerned about the frequency of storm-related spills.

Hahn stated that while storms have undoubtedly contributed to the spill, it is still a priority to make sure that infrastructures do not easily fail due to rain.

"A sewage spill of this magnitude is dangerous and unacceptable, and we need to understand what happened," she stated.

In October, persistent foul odor started coming from the Dominguez Channel spill that also covered the area following a major storm.

Beaches in Cabrillo, Point Fermin, Royal Palm, White Point Park, and Rancho Palos Verdes were also shut down by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: Several L.A. County beaches closed after sewage spill of up to 7 million gallons I ABC7

Tags California, Beaches, Sewage Spill