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Roughly 5 Million Gallons Of Spilled Sewage Shuts Down Cabrillo Beach And Long Beach
A map of the current closures and rain advisory for Los Angeles County beaches.
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The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
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Topline:
The Cabrillo Beach area ocean waters in San Pedro, and all swimming areas in Long Beach, are closed after two separate sewage spills leaked more than 5 million gallons into the Dominguez Channel, the Compton Creek, and in the city of Commerce.
Why it matters: The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and Long Beach health officials are warning people to avoid swimming, surfing, and any other contact with the water. It can make you sick, especially children and the elderly.
Why now: The first spill was reported around Rancho Dominguez, when roughly 5 million gallons went into the Dominguez Channel, which leads to the Port of Long Beach, and into the Compton Creek, which leads to the L.A. River. A second spill leaked another 40,000 gallons of sewage in Commerce, which also flows into the L.A. River. Both incidents were early Monday morning, and have since been stopped.
The backstory: All L.A. County beaches, including Cabrillo Beach, are also under a rain advisory until at least 1 a.m. Wednesday. Long Beach’s seven miles of public beaches are also under a rain advisory, and all swimming areas around Colorado Lagoon and Alamitos Bay have been closed for separate sewage spills.
What's next: Officials will test the water quality over the next week or so until the bacteria levels meet health standards for the rain runoff and sewage spills.
Go deeper: …to learn more about how officials test the water quality.
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