1,800 gallons of sewage force closure of stretch of Torrey Pines State Beach

A sewage spill near the coast sent 1,800 gallons of effluent into a storm drain earlier this week, spurring officials to close a stretch of Torrey Pines State Beach.

The San Diego County Department of Environmental Health on Wednesday said the ocean at the northern boundary of the state beach was off-limits.

The site, north of Carmel Valley Road, is in the city of Del Mar.

Little information about the spill was immediately available, but county officials said 1,800 gallons had gotten into a storm drain before the spill was brought under control.

The closure remains in effect — and signs warning of contaminated water will stay up — until the testing reveals the water is safe for swimmers, officials said.

Figueroa writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.