All swimming areas west of Belmont Pier in Long Beach are temporarily closed due to a sewage spill, the City announced today.
The move comes after approximately 12,000 gallons of sewage was discharged into the LA River on Monday, Jan. 31, according to a report received last night by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
The sewage spill occurred in Compton due to a grease blockage causing sewage to overflow from a manhole, the City said in a statement.
State law requires the temporary closure and posting at beaches, out of an abundance of caution, until the water meets State requirements.
“The Long Beach Health Department’s Recreational Water Quality health inspection team is monitoring water quality along the affected beach sites,” the City said in a statement.
Monitoring will resume until results meet State water quality standards. Residents are urged not to make contact with the water in affected areas.
The City of Long Beach has approximately seven miles of public beach. Water samples are collected and tested weekly to monitor bacteria levels, the City said, encouraging the community to pay close attention to any warning signs posted at the beach.
To keep up with the latest status on Long Beach recreational beach water quality, community members can call the Water Hotline at 1-562-570-4199 or check online at longbeach.gov/beachwaterquality.
