Beaches In Long Beach Closed After Sewage Spill Into LA River
LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Beaches in Long Beach have been shut down following a sewage spill near downtown Los Angeles.
The top of a sewer pipe at 6th Street and Mission Road collapsed at about 2 p.m. Monday afternoon.
At least 108,000 gallons of "debris fell into the sewer pipe, clogging the sewer pipe and causing an overflow of sewage" into the Los Angeles River and the ocean, according to a press release by the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works.
Ofelia Rico lives in the area of the spill. "The water came through the bath tub to the sinks and was filled with dirty water all over," she said. "Terrible, it is very very disgusting."
The force of the spill was so strong, it pushed up a 100-pound manhole cover.
"It's not stopping you see. It's still flowing like that, water fountain," Rico showed CBS2/KCAL9's Rachel Kim.
Rico said the stench of the sewage killed her appetite. "I can't eat with my headache and my stomach is all messed up," she said.
The city said crews are working to contain the spill and the Bureau of Engineering is working to bypass the damaged sewer.
The beaches will remain closed until tests show the water is safe.