2 Miles of South Bay Beaches Remain Closed After Spill From Sewage Line

Nearly two miles of Redondo State Beach and Torrance Beach remained closed Wednesday while county health officials continued to test the water for bacteria from about 3,000 gallons of raw sewage that a blocked sewer line sent spilling into the ocean Tuesday night.

County officials closed the beaches late Tuesday from Topaz Street in Redondo Beach south to the Torrance/Palos Verdes Estates border. Richard Kebabjian, chief of the county Department of Health Services’ recreational health program, said the beaches will remain closed until at least today, when the results from several bacteria tests are confirmed.

The blockage in the sewer line was discovered about 9 p.m. Tuesday at Paseo de la Playa, a street that runs parallel to the beach. The pressure forced the sewage up and out of a manhole and through a storm drain into the ocean at Avenue I in Redondo Beach.

Kebabjian said that the cause of the blockage was unknown but that the sewer line had been repaired Tuesday. He said the beach closure was the first in the county this year. Sewage spills caused the health department to close four beaches last year.

“It’s rare for a beach in this part of the city to be closed,” Kebabjian said. “This usually happens up north where there is a bigger population.”