More beaches reopen after Southern California sewage spill
More beaches reopen after Southern California sewage spill
Chief engineer for sanitation districts of Los Angeles County, Robert Ferrante, gives Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes a tour of the work being done on broken pipe hat caused the sewage spill this past week in Carson, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Temporary pipes are pumping the sewage in a detoured route of about 1,000 feet while repairs are made on the line. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
Sea foam is seen around a puddle of seawater at Cabrillo Beach in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Some Southern California beaches have reopened after a large sewage spill shut off large segment of the coastline before New Year’s Day. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Crews work on the pipe break that caused a sewage spill this past week in Carson, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Temporary pipes are detouring the sewage about 1,000 feet while repairs are made on the line. The freeway offramp has been closed to allow for all the heavy equipment and safety of the crew. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
These temporary pipes are detouring the sewage about 1,000 feet while repairs are made on the line that broke last week causing a sewage spill, in Carson, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
Chief engineer for sanitation districts of Los Angeles County, Robert Ferrante, gives Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes a tour of the work being done on broken pipe that caused the sewage spill this past week in Carson, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Temporary pipes are pumping the sewage in a detoured route of about 1,000 feet while repairs are made on the line. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
Beaches remain closed following last week’s sewage spill in Long Beach, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. The Stahl family, visiting from Chico, saw the warning signs posted and decided not to let their toddler dip his toes in the water. They were disappointed and shocked by the amount of garbage littering the shoreline. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
Beaches remain closed following last week’s sewage spill in San Pedro, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
Beaches remain closed following last week’s sewage spill in San Pedro, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
A crew works on the pipe break that caused a sewage spill this past week in Carson, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Temporary pipes are detouring the sewage about 1,000 feet while repairs are made on the line. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
Sea foam is seen around a puddle of seawater at Cabrillo Beach in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Some Southern California beaches have reopened after a large sewage spill shut off large segment of the coastline before New Year’s Day. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Chief engineer for sanitation districts of Los Angeles County, Robert Ferrante, gives Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes a tour of the work being done on broken pipe hat caused the sewage spill this past week in Carson, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Temporary pipes are pumping the sewage in a detoured route of about 1,000 feet while repairs are made on the line. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
Chief engineer for sanitation districts of Los Angeles County, Robert Ferrante, gives Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes a tour of the work being done on broken pipe hat caused the sewage spill this past week in Carson, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Temporary pipes are pumping the sewage in a detoured route of about 1,000 feet while repairs are made on the line. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
Sea foam is seen around a puddle of seawater at Cabrillo Beach in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Some Southern California beaches have reopened after a large sewage spill shut off large segment of the coastline before New Year’s Day. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Sea foam is seen around a puddle of seawater at Cabrillo Beach in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Some Southern California beaches have reopened after a large sewage spill shut off large segment of the coastline before New Year’s Day. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Crews work on the pipe break that caused a sewage spill this past week in Carson, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Temporary pipes are detouring the sewage about 1,000 feet while repairs are made on the line. The freeway offramp has been closed to allow for all the heavy equipment and safety of the crew. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
Crews work on the pipe break that caused a sewage spill this past week in Carson, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Temporary pipes are detouring the sewage about 1,000 feet while repairs are made on the line. The freeway offramp has been closed to allow for all the heavy equipment and safety of the crew. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
These temporary pipes are detouring the sewage about 1,000 feet while repairs are made on the line that broke last week causing a sewage spill, in Carson, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
These temporary pipes are detouring the sewage about 1,000 feet while repairs are made on the line that broke last week causing a sewage spill, in Carson, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
Chief engineer for sanitation districts of Los Angeles County, Robert Ferrante, gives Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes a tour of the work being done on broken pipe that caused the sewage spill this past week in Carson, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Temporary pipes are pumping the sewage in a detoured route of about 1,000 feet while repairs are made on the line. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
Chief engineer for sanitation districts of Los Angeles County, Robert Ferrante, gives Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes a tour of the work being done on broken pipe that caused the sewage spill this past week in Carson, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Temporary pipes are pumping the sewage in a detoured route of about 1,000 feet while repairs are made on the line. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
Beaches remain closed following last week’s sewage spill in Long Beach, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. The Stahl family, visiting from Chico, saw the warning signs posted and decided not to let their toddler dip his toes in the water. They were disappointed and shocked by the amount of garbage littering the shoreline. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
Beaches remain closed following last week’s sewage spill in Long Beach, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. The Stahl family, visiting from Chico, saw the warning signs posted and decided not to let their toddler dip his toes in the water. They were disappointed and shocked by the amount of garbage littering the shoreline. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
Beaches remain closed following last week’s sewage spill in San Pedro, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
Beaches remain closed following last week’s sewage spill in San Pedro, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
Beaches remain closed following last week’s sewage spill in San Pedro, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
Beaches remain closed following last week’s sewage spill in San Pedro, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
A crew works on the pipe break that caused a sewage spill this past week in Carson, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Temporary pipes are detouring the sewage about 1,000 feet while repairs are made on the line. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
A crew works on the pipe break that caused a sewage spill this past week in Carson, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Temporary pipes are detouring the sewage about 1,000 feet while repairs are made on the line. (Brittany Murray/The Orange County Register via AP)
Sea foam is seen around a puddle of seawater at Cabrillo Beach in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Some Southern California beaches have reopened after a large sewage spill shut off large segment of the coastline before New Year’s Day. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Sea foam is seen around a puddle of seawater at Cabrillo Beach in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Some Southern California beaches have reopened after a large sewage spill shut off large segment of the coastline before New Year’s Day. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — More Southern California beaches have been reopening after a large sewage spill shut off large segment of the coastline before New Year’s Day.
Orange County’s health care agency on Monday lifted closures for Seal Beach and Sunset Beach once testing showed the water quality was acceptable, said Julie MacDonald, an agency spokesperson.
Officials said closures were lifted for five of seven beaches in Los Angeles County including Point Fermin and Outer Cabrillo. Beaches in Long Beach remained closed.
Officials said a sewer main line failed Thursday in the city of Carson, discharging roughly 8.5 million gallons (32 million liters) of sewage into the Dominguez Channel, which empties into Los Angeles Harbor.
The spill prompted the closure of swimming areas stretching from Orange County’s Sunset Beach to Rancho Palos Verdes in Los Angeles County. An annual Polar Bear Swim that usually draws hundreds of people to Cabrillo Beach on New Year’s Day was canceled.
The spill was the biggest reported in four decades in the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, which serve more than 5 million people, said Bryan Langpap, an agency spokesman.
The leak occurred in an aging pipe but the cause was not immediately known, he said.
Officials have been monitoring water quality in onshore and offshore locations but on Monday had no data immediately available for release, he said. The spill was stopped late Friday and crews have been working to install a permanent fix, he said.