Blockage Forces Sewage Into Ocean
A blocked sewer main sent 2,700 gallons of sewage into the ocean Wednesday at La Jolla, a spokesman for the County Department of Health Services said.
The spill occurred about 7:30 a.m. when roots blocking a sewer main forced the sewage through a manhole at 760 Dodge Drive, said Dan Avera, a department spokesman.
The sewage then entered a storm drain and emptied into the ocean in the 5900 block of Camino de la Costa just north of La Jolla Hermosa Park, he said.
Avera called it a small spill that would be diluted quickly in the ocean. But, since “contact with sewage at any time presents potential problems with health,” he said, the county posted signs warning of contamination along the beach within 100 feet north and south of the point the sewage entered the ocean.
The Water Utilities Department removed the roots within 90 minutes.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
