17M gallon sewage spill at L.A. treatment plant closes Dockweiler, El Segundo beaches to swimming
Last edited Thu Jul 15, 2021, 06:45 AM - Edit history (1)
KTLA
The release of about 17 million gallons of untreated sewage from the city of Los Angeles largest treatment plant closed miles of beaches to swimming from the LAX area to El Segundo Monday, officials said.
A power outage Sunday night caused sewage from the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant in Playa del Rey to spill into the ocean, L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a tweet.
Officials say the unfiltered sewage was discharged into the Pacific through pipes that extend 1 mile and 5 miles offshore.
The facility became inundated with overwhelming quantities of debris, causing backup of the headworks facilities, Hyperion Executive Plant Manager Timeyin Dafeta said in a statement to the Associated Press.
The plants relief system was triggered and sewage flows were controlled through use of the plants one-mile outfall and discharge of untreated sewage into Santa Monica Bay, Dafeta said.
Hahn tweeted that officials are going to need answers about how and why this happened.
Update
KTLA Jul 14, 2021 / 10:32 PM PDT
Beaches from the LAX area to El Segundo reopened to swimmers two days after a spill of about 17 million gallons of untreated sewage from the city of Los Angeles largest treatment plant closed miles of shoreline, officials announced Wednesday.