Broken Sewer Line Dumps Millions of Gallons of Garbage on City Streets in California | Infrastructure | Latest News Headlines

A major clean-up effort is underway in Los Angeles County after an estimated 8.5 million gallons of raw sewage flooded a neighborhood in the city of Carson, closing beaches and leaving toilet paper, excreta and toxic residue strewn on nearby streets and sidewalks.

The spill happened last Thursday when a 60-year-old sewer line ruptured, spewing sewage from a manhole and into the Dominguez Canal, a 15-year-old flood control waterway. miles which eventually empties into the Pacific Ocean.

The failing 48-inch sewer main was due for replacement within the year and was likely put to strain after heavy torrential rains hit southern California. LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn has called for a full investigation into the cause of the the largest spill ever recorded in the region.

“A sewage spill of this magnitude is dangerous and unacceptable, and we need to understand what happened,” Hahn said in a statement. “The recent storm undoubtedly contributed to the spill, but we need infrastructure that does not break down when it rains.

City officials said Monday that nearby Long Beach beaches will remain closed as water quality tests continue. Several beaches in Los Angeles and Orange counties were closed this weekend after the spill, and surf, swimming and vacation events like the annual Polar Bear Swim – where locals enjoyed a freezing dip from the New Years on Cabrillo Beach for the past 70 years – had to be canceled. Hahn, who called the event “Precious local tradition”, added that “canceling it is a terrible way to start the year”.

The spill came just months after another environmental disaster struck residents of Carson, a town just north of Long Beach and south of downtown Los Angeles. The Dominguez Canal has recently been plagued by an overwhelming odor, described by residents as “the stench of death,” which has caused headaches, breathing problems and other health problems. Authorities attributed the smell to a warehouse fire that dropped chemicals into the 15-mile canal, killing plants and releasing large amounts of hydrogen sulfide, also known as gas disgust.

The sewage flow has been stopped according to the Los Angeles County Sanitation District, and abnormal levels of hydrogen sulfide have not been detected in the area. The agency said affected streets and storm sewers had been cleaned up and it would reimburse residents for car washes. Meanwhile, crews are still working to fix the pipe.

LA County Sanitation Districts said on Sunday that plans were in place to “slip” the pipe, a process in which a smaller, corrosion-resistant 42-inch pipe is placed inside the pipe. 48 inch sewer, but that materials would not be delivered until later in the week.

The process was complicated by the position of the line near a freeway, which also caused offramp closures.

It was not the first time that sewage had poured into these streets of Carson. Resident Cesar Casillas told Fox11 Los Angeles that this was the second spill he and his neighbors have faced in five years.

“It’s something you never want to see,” Casillas said, describing the foul odor that lingered during the cleaning days. “There is still stained toilet paper in the floor,” he added. “My kids can’t play here – I don’t think that’s safe.”