Long Beach health officials today ordered the closure of coastal swimming areas west of Belmont Pier after 12,000 gallons of sewage was discharged into the Los Angeles River on Monday.
City Health Officer Dr. Anissa Davis ordered the closure after she received a report from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services regarding the spillage, the city said in a statement. State law requires temporary closure and posting at beaches in these situations until the water quality meets state requirements, according to the city.
Officials say the spill originated in Compton and was the result of a grease blockage that caused sewage to overflow from a manhole and into the river.
It is not clear when the affected beaches will reopen for swimming and other water activities, but, authorities said they would remain closed until testing of water samples shows bacteria levels are within state standards. Residents are encouraged to pay attention to any warning signs posted at the beach, officials said.
In early January, the city’s beaches and swimming areas closed for nearly a week after the failure of a sewer mainline in Carson poured more than eight million gallons of raw sewage into the Dominguez Channel waterway. An investigation is still underway for the cause of the record-breaking spillage, but it is believed that the 60-year-old infrastructure of the sewer mainline pipe had deteriorated from years of chemical build-up from natural waste.
For the latest status on Long Beach recreational beach water quality, the public can call the Water Hotline at 562-570-4199 or visit longbeach.gov/beachwaterquality.
What caused a record sewage spill in Long Beach, and will it happen again?