Map showing sewage spill location and affected areas as of Sunday night. The spill has since forced closures throughout Alamitos Bay. By Sarah Bennett.

This weekend’s sewage spill resulting from the failure of a private sump pump has forced additional beach closures in the Alamitos Bay after testing proved more water was affected than originally thought. 

Long Beach City Health Officer Dr. Mitchell Kushner ordered all recreational beaches within Alamitos Bay closed to water contact Tuesday night due to bacteriological tests obtained this morning that showed that the spill impacted areas besides Mother’s Beach and Marine Stadium, which were closed on Sunday.

“Out of an abundance of caution, the beaches will remain closed to water contact until testing confirms that the results are within State standards,” city officials said in a statement announcing the additional closures.

The low-volume sewage spill that originated in the Bixby Terrace neighborhood was reported on Saturday night and is believed to have dumped around 1000 gallons into the Cerritos Channel, one of Alamitos Bay’s main water sources. Though Director of Environmental Health Nelson Kerr told the Post on Sunday that these types of spills will generally clear on their own without any additional cleanup, the owners of the faulty sump pump are responsible for any clean-up costs.

“The City will be aggressively pursuing actions to identify any and all contributing factors of the spill, and considering the necessary and appropriate enforcement actions against the private property owner to prevent a future occurrence,” the statement also said.

Ocean-facing beaches and Colorado Lagoon will remain open for swimming while water testing inside the bay will be conducted daily to determine when the remaining recreational beaches can be reopened.