All ocean areas in Long Beach were reopened to swimmers and surfers Wednesday following a closure prompted by a sewage spill that contaminated the water.
Long Beach health officials said the spill occurred Sunday in Hawaiian Gardens, dumping roughly 11,000 gallons of sewage into the San Gabriel River, running to the coast. The spill was caused by a grease blockage, according to the city.
As a result, Long Beach’s roughly seven miles of public beach were posted with non-swimming signs. But the closure was lifted Wednesday after “consecutive lab results demonstrated the water to be within state water quality standards,” according to the city.