Massive sewage spill closes beaches around Los Angeles

Beaches were closed in the Los Angeles area this weekend following a historic spill of up to 7 million gallons of untreated sewage.

A 48-inch sewer main line failed on Thursday, sending millions of gallons into the Dominguez Channel, which flows into the Los Angeles harbor, the city of Long Beach said in a Friday press release.

After the spill, Los Angeles County ordered the closure of multiple beaches, ABC 7 reported. The city of Long Beach temporarily closed seven miles of its beaches and Orange County closed off Seal Beach.

Sewage even made its way into city streets after the spill.

Reporter Jessica De Nova wrote on Twitter that one neighborhood was “filled w/awful odors & this river of raw sewage running through their street Thursday,” adding that residents “hope their government leaders do more to improve quality of life here.”

1/2 This is the LARGEST spill on record for the L.A. County Sanitation Districts at an estimated 6-7 million gallons. It prompted closures to water access from #LongBeach to #SealBeach & wildlife rescue orgs are on standby for reports of affected marine life. Cesar Casillas pic.twitter.com/ueauSDRETk

— Jessica De Nova (@abc7jessica) January 1, 2022

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn called for an investigation into the pipelines and sewer infrastructure to determine whether it was faulty.

“A spill of this magnitude is dangerous and unacceptable, and we need to understand what happened,” said in a statement.

The sewage spill is now estimated to be between 6 and 7 million gallons. A spill of this magnitude is dangerous and unacceptable, and we need to understand what happened. The recent storm undoubtedly contributed, but we need infrastructure that doesn’t fail when it rains. pic.twitter.com/OC1h5Mg2vl

— Janice Hahn (@SupJaniceHahn) December 31, 2021