Some 250,000 gallons of sewage spilled into the Los Angeles River, shutting down local beaches, authorities said Friday.
According to the Los Angeles County Sanitary Districts (LACSD), equipment from one of their maintenance crews malfunctioned, causing a temporary sewer blockage.
At 9:40 a.m. Thursday, the blockage caused sewage to overflow onto the street from Burns and Rives Avenues in Downey.
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“Although our staff worked to establish containment to prevent sewage from reaching receiving waters, we estimated that 250,000 gallons of sewage reached the Los Angeles River before our crews could fully contain it. sewage that flowed into a local storm sewer,” health district officials said.
Officials notified local public health officials and local beaches were to be closed as a safety measure.
“Our teams will take water samples from the river and ocean looking for signs of bacteria to help officials determine when it is safe to reopen beaches.”
The spill was brought under control at 11:40 a.m. Thursday, Downey authorities said, and sanitation crews cleaned up the affected area.
“Residents living in the area are allowed access to their homes. Others who do not live in the area are asked to avoid the area for the rest of the day,” they said.
City of Long Beach health officer Dr. Anissa Davis ordered that all coastal areas open for swimming in Long Beach be temporarily closed to contact with water due to a sewage spill.
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The City Health Department’s Recreational Water Quality Sanitary Inspection Team monitors water quality along affected beaches.
Water monitoring will continue until results meet state water quality standards, Long Beach spokeswoman Jennifer Rice Epstein said.
State law requires temporary closure and posting at beaches in these situations, as a precaution, until water quality meets state requirements.