El Matador State Beach, part of the area affected by the closure. Photo: Shutterstock
Los Angeles is still reeling from the infernos that swept through wide swathes of the city, starting in January. One ongoing problem has been water quality issues, due to rains and fire debris runoff, which led to a recent announcement of ocean water closures in the region. However, that has now been compounded by a subsequent sewage discharge in Malibu, leading to further closures.
According to a Los Angeles County Public Health press release, the sewage discharge began on Thursday, January 30. The California Office of Emergency Services was notified of the spill at 10:42 am and it was stopped at 11:20 am that same day. In that time, approximately 1,000 to 10,000 gallons of untreated sewage was released into the ocean. According to L.A. Public Health, “The release impacted asphalt and flowed to the nearby beach, affecting both sand and ocean water.”
In the wake of the spill, Public Health issued an ocean water closure extending from Encinal Canyon to 31250 Broad Beach Road, roughly two miles of Malibu coastline, where visitors were advised to avoid contact with ocean water and wet sand. According to the release, “The Department of Public Health will conduct water sampling, and the closures will remain in effect until Public Health receives two sampling results indicating that bacterial levels meet health standards.”
The ocean water closure was still in effect as of a subsequent release on Saturday, February 1.
