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Los Angeles Controller Ron Galperin sent a letter to LA Sanitation and Environment on Tuesday, July 20, demanding answers about the cause and impact of a 17 million-gallon sewage spill early last week that temporarily closed beaches from El Segundo to the southern end of Playa del Rey.

This catastrophic accident not only did great damage to our local beaches and water, but also undermined the publics trust in their governments ability to serve them and keep them safe, Galperin said. Residents have the right to know exactly why the sewage spill happened, its impact on the area, the cost to taxpayers and what steps will be taken to prevent another similar incident in the future.

The Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant, near El Segundo, discharged 17 million gallons of untreated sewage through a one-mile outfall beginning the evening of July 11 and into the morning of July 12, prompting the beach closures.

The plant became inundated with overwhelming quantities of debris, causing backup of the headworks facilities, Hyperion Executive Plant Manager Timeyin Dafeta said in a statement later that week. The plants relief system was triggered and sewage flows were controlled through use of the plants one-mile outfall and discharge of untreated sewage into Santa Monica Bay.

LA Sanitation and Environment operates the plant.

Dafeta said the sewage about 6% of a daily load was discharged as an emergency measure through the one-mile outfall to prevent the plant from going offline and discharging more raw sewage. Normally, treated sewage is discharged through the five-mile outfall.

Beaches were closed the next day in the following areas:

They reopened three days later, on Thursday, July 15.

But the delay in closing the beaches and alerting the public has drawn criticism from residents and local officials, including Galperin and LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who requested an investigation and a corrective plan.

Dafeta, in an interview last week, said Hyperion officials were investigating and would comply with Hahns request.

Two El Segundo mothers were so infuriated the public wasnt notified sooner that they have organized a protest, planned for 3 p.m. Thursday, July 22, outside the plants main entrance.

Nikia Gonzales said her daughter swam in the ocean near the Hyperion plant the morning after the spill as part of a summer beach camp. Authorities, Gonzales said, were negligent in not telling people about the spill earlier.

The LA County Department of Public Health did not publish its advisory closing the beaches until around 5 p.m. that day.

When I found out my daughter swam in that water, I was petrified, freaking out and angry, Gonzales said. They are not only contaminating our poor ocean, but they allowed our residents to swim in it for hours and hours. I know they are saying its the city of LAs responsibility and they followed protocol but at what point do you use your common human sense to notify the residents.

Galperin, meanwhile, wrote in his letter that the spill was an environmental disaster and imminent threat to the health and safety of millions of residents in and around the city.

He noted that it took almost 24 hours to notify the public via social media about the spill. In his letter, Galperin asked:

The controller, who serves as a watchdog on public spending, also asked which regulatory agencies will investigate the incident, what the spills impact was on environmental and public health, what repairs are needed at the plant and how much it will cost taxpayers.

The beaches reopened on Thursday after ocean water samples collected over two days met state standards for acceptable water quality, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said.

El Segundo city officials said in a press release Tuesday that a review of the incident by federal and state regulatory agencies could take two to three months.

In the meantime, the plant will undergo repairs until August, resulting in construction noise, odor, smoke and flaring, the city said. Gonzales said the smell is unbearable at times.

Hyperion and Los Angeles officials plan to address residents at the August 17 City Council meeting.

But Gonzales said thats not soon enough.

I did this because over the past several days I am seeing kids posting on Facebook about people feeling sick and going to the hospital, having nausea and headaches and waking up in the middle of the night because the smell is so intoxicating, Gonzales said. August 17 is planned but this is making us sick now.

The Public Health Department, however, did note in a Friday press release that water samples had continued to meet state standards the day after beaches reopened.

Bacteria levels in the water, however, often exceed state standards for various reasons not related to the Hyperion sewage spill, the department said in a separate press release issued the day before.

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LA Control demands answers to sewage spill that closed down South Bay beaches - The Daily Breeze