Sewage spill in Los Angeles closes beaches in Long Beach

July 20, 2016
On Monday afternoon, at least 1.5 million gallons of sewage were spilled in downtown LA, after the top of the sewer pipe collapsed.
Beaches in Long Beach, Calif., remain closed until they are deemed safe after a 90-year-old pipe burst in Los Angeles, sending sewage down the LA River.

LONG BEACH, CA, JULY 20, 2016 -- A 90-year-old pipe in Los Angeles is the cause of a sewage spill that has caused beaches in Long Beach, Calif. to close, according to the Associated Press.

On Monday afternoon, at least 1.5 million gallons of sewage were spilled in downtown LA, after the top of the sewer pipe collapsed. Sludge flowed onto streets in the area, and into drains that feed into the Los Angeles River.

The spill was contained in the area by 11 p.m., and tests were being conducted to determine how much, if any, tainted water made its way into Long Beach waterways. The Los Angeles River flows throughout the Santa Monica Mountains and through LA, ending in Long Beach.

It is not yet known what caused the pipe to burst. Beaches in Long Beach will remain closed until the water is deemed safe.