Thousands of gallons of raw sewage were diverted from seeping into the ocean at a popular Los Angeles-area beach, reopening the water and sand to partiers for Labor Day weekend, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced Friday.
A root blockage caused about 6,700 gallons of raw sewage to enter the storm drain at Sunset Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, the department said in a statement.
Health officials initially warned residents to avoid the water and wet sand at Will Rogers State Beach, citing the possibility that sewage could have reached the ocean. But on Friday afternoon, the department lifted the closure, saying a low-flow diverter had successfully redirected sewage away from the open water.
The forecast for the now-open beach calls for partly cloudy skies and temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees through the weekend.
The number of road and air travelers over the Labor Day weekend is expected to peak in the coming days to cap off a record-breaking summer of travel.
The near-total spill comes just over a month after parts of nearby Venice Beach and Dockweiler State Beach were closed due to a spill of about 15,000 gallons of sewage near Marina del Rey.
