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This Thursday, Dockweiler State Beach, situated between Ballona Creek and Grand Avenue, was closed after a medical waste infected the area with a high level of bacteria.
Signs were placed along the 4-mile beach in order to inform the public about the danger and to make them stay away from the water and sand.
Concerning the origin of the waste, it is believed that it comes from a pipeline pertaining the Hyperion Treatment Plant. The pipeline is currently being repaired and all the waste is turned aside to another pipe that will discharge the waste for another 5 or 6 weeks, when the officials estimate that the fixing process of the broken pipeline will come to an end.
“It may have been sitting there, and as a result, the heavy rain storm and first flush of all of that may have pushed that matter out into the bay,” declared Tonya Durrell, a LA Sanitation representative.
Durrell also stated that the waste was not harmful and that it didn’t constitute a danger for the public. However, the officials advised the passers-by to avoid touching the sand, the water or any another object that came in contact with the polluted area.
Heal the Bay, an environmental group, is also monitoring the risks. They also believe that the pollution may have been caused by the storm, pushing huge amounts of wasted water into only one pipe, which ultimately broke down. Even more, they advise people to carefully think about the consequences these flows have, both on themselves and on nature.
The officials declared that they continue to investigate the matter. The area, which was extended to 45th Street, was cleaned up by the competent authorities, who worked at night to clean the beach, although it would remain closed for a little while.
Los Angeles is known to have some of the filthiest beaches in California.
Image Source: Wikimedia
