City Of Malibu: Malibu's Beach Water Quality Not Impacted By Sewage Spill 20 Miles Down Coast

Press release from the City of Malibu:

July 14, 2021

Malibu’s Beach Water Quality Not Impacted by Sewage Spill 20 Miles Down Coast 

On Sunday, July 11, 17 million gallons of unfiltered sewage was released into the Santa Monica Bay from the City of Los Angeles' Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant in Playa del Ray through pipes that extend 1 to 5 miles offshore. The release occurred Sunday afternoon through early Monday as an emergency measure to prevent a larger release. As a result, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH) issued beach closures for Dockweiler State Beach and El Segundo Beach, which are approximately 20 miles from the beaches on the City of Malibu’s eastern border. The City of Malibu monitors beach water quality three times a week for compliance with public health requirements. The most recent samples collected on July 13, 2021, have not shown bacteria in significant quantities to indicate the presence of harmful pathogens for waters within City limits or pose a health threat to swimmers. The City will continue to monitor the levels of bacteria in the water and is committed to ensuring public health and safety. Beach conditions are available 24 hours a day on the County’s beach closure phone hotline at 1-800-525-5662 and online. For more information, see the LADPH press release.

This press release was produced by the City of Malibu. The views expressed here are the author’s own.