Landslide Breaks Sewer Line, Causing Spill
A landslide Wednesday ruptured a sewer line, sending a million gallons of sewage to sea, and caused a man walking his dog to plunge 100 feet down a cliff.
The 200-by-400-foot section of earth slid away from Palos Verdes’ Ocean Trails Golf Course in the 3800 block of Paseo del Mar at 11:26 a.m., county Fire Inspector Mark Tolbert said. No one was injured, but the dog and his owner had to be airlifted from the crevice caused by the slide.
The landslide ruptured a 27-inch sewer main, and health department officials ordered a 7-mile stretch of beach from Point Vicente to Cabrillo Beach closed because of the sewage spill, said Sharon Wanglin, spokeswoman for the county health department.
Officials estimated that about 1 million gallons of sewage would be spilled. They were expecting to contain the flow by late Wednesday, Wanglin said.
The golf course was under construction and was scheduled to open July 16, said developer Robert Zuckerman. Work will resume when it is known what caused the landslide.
“Safety is first,” Zuckerman said. “We’re really grateful that no one was injured.”
County engineers are investigating the landslide cause.
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