The Press-Telegram‘s Kelly Puente today reports that a spill occurring in South Pasadena over the weekend has sent 22,000 gallons of raw sewage down the Los Angeles River and into Long Beach coastal waters, closing those beaches (Alamitos Bay beaches remain open).
How did a spill twenty-seven miles away force the closure of our beaches? The South Pasadena pipe that leaked was coated in grease, which hardens and blocks pipes when residents pour things like cooking oils and fats down their drains.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because it happened twice in Long Beach last year. In July, 12,000 gallons of sewage spilled into the river due to a grease blockage, and 17,000 gallons spilled into the river in December.
In our report from the July spill, we wrote:
Grease blockages can cause great harm to the environment and are difficult for workers to control. It is illegal to put grease (butter, meats, and other foods heavy in fat or oil) into sinks because they clog drains and pipes, essentially creating a sewer heart attack. In this particular case, the sewage overflowed out of sewers and onto the street, entering stormdrains and eventually open water.
At the time, the Long Beach Water Department provided us with images of a pipe drain clogged by grease, similar to the one that caused the spill in South Pasadena (the white areas are grease).
By Ryan ZumMallen, Managing Editor