Sewage Spills Into San Diego River

A debris-clogged storm drain in Mission Valley caused 10,000 gallons of raw sewage to spill into the San Diego River on Thursday. Much of the sewage eventually made its way to Dog Beach in Ocean Beach, according to the county Department of Health Services.

“We estimate about 10,000 gallons flowed into the San Diego River--which flows into the Dog Beach area of Ocean Beach--from a storm drain at 4:45 p.m. Thursday,” said county spokesman Lyn Wallis.

The line, on Sevan Court near Mission Center Road, clogged at about 11 a.m. and forced sewage out of a manhole and into a nearby storm drain that dumps into the San Diego River.

Contamination warning signs were posted 100 feet on either side of the storm drain. Dog Beach was already posted because of a previous spill, and those signs will remain, Wallis said.