Officials Say 1.5 Million Gallons of Sewage Spilled in L.A.; Closures in Long Beach

Officials now say a broken pipe near downtown Los Angeles released as much as 1.5 million gallons of sewage into the L.A. River on Monday, prompting health officials in Long Beach and Seal Beach to shut ocean access to the public.

Officials had earlier estimated that about 100,000 gallons of sewage were released into the L.A. River and were emptying into the ocean 22 miles away in Long Beach, where the river terminates.

Long Beach officials learned of the spill in the late afternoon, according to Nelson Kerr with the Long Beach Health Department.

“This is unfortunate. We’ve really had excellent water quality for the last six or seven years here, and we don’t like to see this kind of thing. But we’ll handle it and get through it, and as soon as the water’s safe we’ll have folks swimming again,” Kerr told KPCC.

He said the sewage that flowed from the pipe in the downtown Los Angeles area is anything that goes down the toilet or sink. He said the spill was stopped by about 11 p.m.

Health officials are testing the water and expect lab results by Wednesday, Kerr said, noting that beaches could reopen by Thursday.

The spill started when the top of a sewer pipe collapsed about 2 p.m. at Sixth Street and Mission Road, according to the Los Angeles Department of Public Works.

Debris from the broken pipe fell in and blocked the flow of sewage, which began to overflow into the surrounding area, the department said in a statement.

The city’s acting health officer, Dr. Mauro Torno, issued the order to close all coastal beaches until lab tests indicate the water is safe for swimming.

Anyone planning to visit the beaches can call the city’s water hotline at 562–570–4199 for the latest information on water quality or visit the department’s website.

This story has been updated. It was originally published on Monday.