This browser does not support the Video element.
Los Angeles County Supervisors address Hyperion sewage leak
The failure to more quickly notify the public of a 17-million-gallon sewage spill that ultimately closed beaches from El Segundo to the southern end of Playa del Rey was largely the fault of a division within the Department of Public Health, according to a report discussed by county officials.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - Beachgoers are once again being asked to avoid the water near the site of a 17-million-gallon sewage spill that ultimately closed beaches from El Segundo to the southern end of Playa del Rey.
On Tuesday, July 27, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health conducted another water sampling near the site of the sewage spill in the Santa Monica Bay and determined that several beach areas near the Hyperion plant exceeded state standards for bacteria in water.
Get your top stories delivered daily! Sign up for FOX 11’s Fast 5 newsletter. And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android.
Affected beach areas include:
- El Segundo BeachGrand Avenue storm drain (Near Dockweiler Tower 60)
- Grand Avenue storm drain (Near Dockweiler Tower 60)
- Dockweiler State Beach Ballona Creek (Near Dockweiler Tower 40) Culver Blvd storm drain Hyperion Plant outfall Imperial Highway storm drain (Dockweiler Tower 56) Westchester storm drain World Way extension
- Ballona Creek (Near Dockweiler Tower 40)
- Culver Blvd storm drain
- Hyperion Plant outfall
- Imperial Highway storm drain (Dockweiler Tower 56)
- Westchester storm drain
- World Way extension
Other beaches under advisory include:
- Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica
- Montana Ave. storm drain at Santa Monica Beach (Santa Monica North Tower 8)
- Wilshire Bl. storm drain at Santa Monica Beach (Santa Monica North Tower 12)
- Temescal Canyon storm drain at Will Rogers State Beach
- Avalon Beach at Catalina Island (50 feet east of the pier)
Authorities are asking beachgoers to be careful of swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean waters around discharging storm drains, creeks, and rivers.
Health officials said that no sewage is currently being discharged from the Hyperion plant into the ocean and ocean waters, adding that bacterial levels often fluctuate from day to day and can be impacted by recent rain events.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Report on 17M gallon sewage spill blames LA County Public Health for failing to quickly notify public
- Beaches between El Segundo, Dockweiler reopen after 17M gallons of sewage spilled into ocean forced closure
Roughly 17 million gallons of raw sewage spilled into the ocean on July 11, forcing health officials to close several beaches in the area for multiple days. It took health officials more than 24 hours to notify the public of the sewage spill, which County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer called, "multiple failure on top of multiple failure."
A report detailing the sewage spill blamed the county health department for failing to notify the public more quickly.
"There's no excuse for this," Ferrer told the Board of Supervisors and the public Tuesday.
The beaches ultimately reopened on July 14 after the health department reported that bacteria levels in the water were back to normal.
Tune in to FOX 11 Los Angeles for the latest Southern California news.
This browser does not support the Video element.