Thousands of gallons of raw sewage leaked into the ocean at a popular Los Angeles-area beach ahead of the Labor Day weekend, the LA County Department of Public Health announced Friday.
A root blockage caused about 6,700 gallons of untreated sewage to enter the storm drain and flow into the ocean at Sunset Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, the department said in a drop.
People should avoid the water and wet sand at Will Rogers State Beach from Sunset Boulevard within a half mile in either direction, officials said.
Closures will remain in effect until bacteria levels meet health standards in two different samples.
The spill comes a little more than a month after parts of nearby Venice Beach and Dockweiler State Beach were closed due to spillage of approximately 15,000 liters of sewage near Marina del Rey.
The latest spill is likely to affect beachgoers’ plans for the Labor Day weekend. The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the high 70s and low 80s through the weekend.
The number of road trippers and air travelers is expected to peak in the next few days to stop a record-breaking travel summer.