LA Rains Overwhelm Sewage Systems, Beach Contamination "Off The Charts"

[hatrack]

The series of powerful rainstorms sent millions of gallons of treated and untreated wastewater into Southern California waterways, overburdening sewage systems and polluting some beaches with more than 10 times the usual levels of bacteria.

Sewage spills prompted health officials to close several beaches in Long Beach and along a large swath of the Orange County shoreline from Huntington Beach to Newport Beach, around where Santa Ana River empties into the sea. While other beaches remained open, authorities urged people to avoid the water until at least Friday because of high bacteria levels.

"The contamination is off the charts," said Dr. Darryl M. Sexton, Long Beach's health officer. "Have you seen the River? The runoff is all brown. It's got animal waste from the storm drains let alone human waste coming from the sewer, so all of it creates a potential health problem." While rainstorms often foul the ocean, officials said the record rains over the last few weeks have been especially harmful. Debris littered beaches across the region, and the heavy rainwater overwhelmed sewage systems, causing massive leaks.

EDIT

On Tuesday, raw sewage could be seen spilling onto the shoreline near the Aquarium of the Pacific and the Long Beach Convention Center, which was playing host to the popular annual State of the City luncheon. Sexton said it was much better to stay indoors during the event. Los Angeles County health officials have posted warning signs on beaches from San Pedro to the Ventura County line since Dec. 28. More than 50 storm drains, creeks and rivers empty into the county's beaches. Officials close beaches only if there is a sewage spill."

EDIT

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sewage12jan12,1,6841029.story?coll=la-headlines-california

[pmbryant]

1. Old story in LA

When I lived there, ten years ago, beaches would have to be closed after every siginifcant rainstorm.

Sad to see the situation hasn't changed since then.

--Peter

[ET Awful]

3. Yup, Malibu was particularly bad because

the sewage would back up into the lagoon, and the whole freakin beach would reak to high heaven for weeks afterward.


Nasty stuff.

[KurtNYC]

2. 1, 2, 3, 4....

If everybody had an ocean
Across the U.S.A.
Then everybody'd be surfin'
Like Californi-a
You'd see 'em wearing their baggies
Huarachi sandals too
A bushy bushy blonde hair-doodoo

Surfin' U.S.A. !

[progmom]

4. Yikes!

I just returned on Sunday from a conference at the Long Beach Convention Center. Looks like we got out of there just in time.
My husband was dodging mud slides on the PCH and rock slides on Sunset Blvd.

[enough]

5. So this is the scene Bushco wants to see repeated all over the country,

with the EPA planning to weakken regs so that untreated waste can be discharged during rains.

See hatrack's thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=115&topic_id=17371

[NNadir]

6. This is an old story, and has been going since the 1970's. I lived in

Hermosa Beach then.

They built that huge sewage treatment plant near El Segundo by Dockweiler Beach, but the city kept growing and growing and growing and growning or as the Lorax put it biggering and biggering and biggering and biggering.

I don't understand why people live in LA anymore. It's the pits.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

7. I don't miss the eye or ear infections I frequently suffered from in my

surfing days....the Santa Ana river bed is just a big sewer and the Aliso Viejo Creek down in SO Laguna is constantly pouring crap into the ocean...sometimes it's pretty obvious when you are in it :puke: