30,000-Gallon Raw Sewage Spill Impacts Creeks In Palos Verdes

PALOS VERDES ESTATES, CA — Los Angeles County's most recent sewage spill briefly shut down beaches in Palos Verdes Estates over the weekend before Public Health officials rescinded the warning.

The 30,000-gallon spill originated from a blocked line in Rancho Palos Verdes, which dumped sewage into Windport Canyon Creek and Agua Amarga Creek, absorbed into the dry creek bed and didn't reach the ocean.

Though the spill didn't reach ocean waters, LA Public Health officials recommended the public avoid contact with standing water in both the Windport Canyon and Agua Amarga creek beds on the Lunada Canyon Trail.

LA County is no stranger to sewage spills and this most recent one in Palos Verdes was the third in the county in just four days.

On June 6, health officials announced that 50,000 gallons of sewage spilled into the LA River, causing seven miles of beaches in Long Beach to shut down. Two days later, County officials shut down Malibu Lagoon State Beach after a 5,000 to 6,000-gallon spill.

The three spills totaled more than 85,000 gallons of sewage that spilled in county waterways in less than one week. In the last nine months, there have been a total of seven sewage spills in LA County.

In September 2022 beaches in Palos Verdes Estates, Torrance and Redondo Beach were shut down due to a 5,000-gallon spill. Beaches in Marina del Rey and Venice were also shut down in January after a spill of 64,000 gallons of raw sewage caused by a blocked main line.

Nearby in Long Beach, there have been three spills of raw sewage into ocean waters since the start of 2023, which raised concerns with local lawmakers who voted to explore ways to hold upstream communities legally accountable for sewage spills that damage tourism opportunities.

Despite the local spill on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, all beaches are open and meet state standards for bacteria levels, meaning they are safe to swim, surf and wade in.