Treated Sewage Is Dumped Only Mile Offshore

Electrical troubles forced Los Angeles to divert 4.9 million gallons of treated sewage out the one-mile ocean outfall at the Hyperion treatment plant near El Segundo, the Department of Public Works announced Wednesday.

The sewage, which normally would be pumped five miles out to sea, was discharged Tuesday afternoon, a city spokesman said. The effluent was chlorinated and posed no problem for nearby beaches, the spokesman said.

City officials blamed recurring electrical problems for a series of diversions out the one-mile outfall pipe this year. In the latest incident, a dip in power through city utility lines caused the aging sewage pumps at Hyperion to shut down for several hours, officials said.

Mayor Tom Bradley last month ordered city departments to provide Hyperion with a more dependable source of electric power. At the time, the mayor said it would take 90 days to complete the work and that sewage diversions could occur in the meantime.