The Region - News from Aug. 7, 1987
A malfunction at Los Angeles’ Hyperion sewage treatment plant allowed about 3.7 million gallons of treated water to flow into the Pacific Ocean about a mile offshore, a Department of Public Works spokeswoman said. An undetermined quantity of raw, untreated sewage was also discharged five miles off the coast, Anna Sklar said. The discharge of chlorinated waste did not pose a public health hazard, Sklar said. Samples will be taken of the untreated effluent and reported as required by law, she added. The spill occurred after a power fluctuation blew out a system controlling four pumps used to push the treated effluent out to sea. It was the latest in a recent series of spills of treated and raw sewage from the city’s aging sewage treatment plants.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. Aug. 8, 1987 For the Record
Los Angeles Times Saturday August 8, 1987 Home Edition Part 1 Page 2 Column 2 Metro Desk 3 inches; 80 words Type of Material: Correction
Based on erroneous information from the Associated Press, The Times reported in some of its Friday editions that a malfunction at Los Angeles’ Hyperion sewage treatment plant had caused the discharge of untreated sewage into the ocean. The malfunction caused about 3.7 million gallons of treated waste, normally discharged about five miles offshore, to be released about one mile out. Because the contents had received full secondary treatment and had been fully chlorinated, the incident did not pose a threat to public health, city Board of Public Works officials said.
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