PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach City Health Officer, Dr. Anissa Davis, ordered all coastal swimming areas in Long Beach to temporarily close for water contact due to a sewage spill. State law requires the temporary closure and posting of beaches when spills occur, out of an abundance of caution, until the water quality meets State requirements.

According to a report received earlier this morning, from Los Angeles County Department of Sanitation, approximately 50,000 gallons of sewage was discharged into the Los Cerritos Channel on December 26. The sewage spill occurred in the City of Long Beach. The spill was caused by a pump station failure due to a loss of power.  

The City of Long Beach Health Department’s recreational water quality health inspection team is monitoring water quality along the coast. Water monitoring will continue until results comply with State water quality standards.

Long Beach has approximately seven miles of public beach. To protect the safety of the public, weekly water samples are collected and tested routinely to monitor bacterial levels. For their safety, the community is encouraged to pay close attention to any warning signs posted at the beach.

For the latest status on Long Beach recreational beach water quality, the public can call the Water Hotline at (562) 570-4199 or visit http://www.longbeach.gov/beachwaterquality. 

Media inquiries can be directed to Judeth Luong, Environmental Health Bureau Manager, Department of Health and Human Services, 562.570.4104, Judeth.Luong@longbeach.gov.