UPDATES

As mentioned in earlier posts below, GHD, an engineering consultant, investigated the cause of our sewer collapse and audited our relevant programs and procedures.  Their final report was shared in our May 12 post below.

The remainder of this post is about our progress in addressing GHD’s recommendations.  These recommendations can be grouped into three categories: accelerating needed sewer rehabilitation, new equipment to assess sewer conditions, and new processes to prioritize the most critical work.

Accelerating Sewer Rehabilitation – Six emergency repair projects have been completed since January 2022 at a cost of $13 million.  This year, we hired on-call consultants to increase the pace at which these projects are designed and constructed.  We are also looking at staffing levels in several workgroups to manage this surge in work.

New Equipment – We ordered a new sewer inspection van that will be outfitted with state-of-the-art inspection equipment to enable more accurate assessment of sewer condition.  We also are utilizing new scanning technologies to assess manhole condition and have added advanced laser technology as another tool for assessing sewer condition.

New Processes – Our staff has been trained on national standards for manhole condition assessment, which will improve consistency in condition ratings.  We have instituted new practices to rate our sewers based on risk and incorporated better practices for tracking high-risk sewers, including conducting post-storm video inspections for the highest risk sewers. 

We are embarking on a multi-year effort to develop a dynamic hydraulic model of our sewer system.  The model will help us identify capacity bottlenecks and better manage sewer operations. 

Last, we are initiating a manhole structure inspection program that will identify manholes in need of repair.

Going Forward – We are currently 80% complete in addressing GHD recommendations and expect to be 90% complete by the end of this year.  The big ongoing efforts will be managing the surge in our sewer rehab projects, the new sewer model, and the manhole inspection and rehab program.

10:30 AM
Construction of repair #3 (described below) will begin this month.  Please contact us at 310-830-8050 or amanesh@lacsd.org with any questions or concerns.

In January 2022, we hired GHD, a third-party engineering consultant with expertise in sewers, to investigate the cause of our sewer collapse and audit our relevant programs and procedures.  GHD’s work is complete, and a cover letter and their final report can be found here. 

We are committed to implementing as many of their recommendations as possible in an accelerated fashion.

3:00 PM
Restoration work has been completed on 212^th Street where our spill occurred.

Sewer repair #2 is nearly complete.  All that remains is to patch Carson Street where our work impacted the pavement and restore a second location where much of the work was completed.  This repair addressed 800 feet of sewer upstream from where our sewer collapsed late last December.  We expect all lanes of Carson Street to be reopened by March 16.

Yesterday, our Directors approved a contract for sewer repair #3.  This work will address 3,000 feet of sewer downstream from where the collapse occurred.  Once complete, the entire “216^th Street Relocation Trunk Sewer” will have been rehabilitated and ready to provide decades of service.  Physical work for repair #3 is expected to begin in April and be complete before October 2022.  Like repair #2, this work will require sewer flow to be bypassed around the area being lined.

Work in Figueroa Street on the “216^th Street Replacement Trunk Sewer, Phase 2” is ongoing.  This work is expected to be complete by the end of 2022.  This new sewer and the rehabilitated sewer will provide the capacity and flexibility to handle increased sewage flows from extreme rain events.

Last, the engineering consultant’s investigation into the causes of the sewer collapse and audit of our relevant programs and procedures is still on track for a final report by late April.  That report will be posted here when finalized.

01/24/2022

9:00 AM
Los Angeles County Supervisors Hahn and Mitchell sent us a letter expressing their concerns and requesting information regarding our sewer spill and response.  Last Friday, we submitted a written report addressing their request.  Our General Manager is scheduled to present about the spill and our response at the January 25 Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting. 

01/13/2022

1:45 PM
Crews have completed repairing the sewer and restoring the area.  Caltrans was notified earlier today and is expected to reopen the northbound 110 offramp to Carson Street later this evening. 

Investigation by an independent expert into the causes of the sewer collapse is ongoing.  A final report of their investigation will be complete in the March – April timeframe and then shared with the public. 

As mentioned in our January 7^th update, a section of the 216^th Street Relocation Trunk Sewer (the sewer that experienced the collapse) located in Caltrans right of way and south of Carson Street was found to be in poor condition and will be repaired on an expedited basis.  Installation of a flow bypass system has begun.  This system will convey flow around the damaged section when heavy rain is expected, which will protect the sewer from further damage.  The repair is expected to be complete by mid-February.  Updates will be provided on this page as we reach key milestones on this effort.

Much of the parkway replacement on 212^th Street has been completed.  Work to replace topsoil in the planter on the other side of the street will begin today and be completed next week.  Most of the remaining work will be completed by the end of this month.  Scheduled car washes were completed this week.

Sampling and testing to assess water quality impacts continues.  Based on data collected to date, we have not observed any impacts to odor or dissolved oxygen levels in the Dominguez Channel.  At the end of the month, we will be submitting a report on water quality impacts to regulatory agencies including the Regional Water Quality Control Board.

For any questions about this incident, please email us at info@lacsd.org.

We are thankful to the emergency contractors who worked to complete the repair and restoration as quickly as possible and the City of Carson for their assistance in expediting this work.  We especially want to thank the residents impacted by our spill for their patience and understanding.

01/10/2022

2:00 PM
Work to replace vegetation on sidewalk parkways continued today and is expected to extend into the next two weeks.  Remaining car washes are expected to be completed this week.

Yesterday, grouting around the new repair pipe was completed.  All sewer flow is now routed through this repaired section of sewer.  As a result, bypass pumping systems are no longer needed and are being disassembled.  Today and tomorrow, crews will be backfilling the sinkhole area.

Dissolved oxygen levels in the Dominguez Channel continue to be normal and no odors have been observed.

We will provide another update when work at the repair site is complete and the off-ramp can be reopened.

01/09/2022

12:30 PM
All remaining pipe sections for the permanent repair of our collapsed sewer have been installed.  This afternoon, crews will inject grout into the space between the outside of the new 42-inch diameter pipe and inside of the old 48-inch pipe.  Once grouting is complete, the repaired section will function like a new, corrosion-resistant sewer.  More days of work are needed to finish the repair and restore the site.

Landscaping on 212^th Street is scheduled to resume tomorrow.

 01/08/2022

2:45 PM
Last night, 19 of 22 pipe sections for the permanent repair of our collapsed sewer were installed. Flows in the sewer were too low early this morning to enable pipe installation to continue.  Site forces will return to work later this afternoon when flows are higher to finish pipe installation.  Additional work will be needed in the coming days to complete the repairs and restore the site.

By the end of today, most car washes will have been completed with the remainder scheduled for next week.

We continue to monitor dissolved oxygen levels in the Dominguez Channel and these levels continue to be normal.  No odors have been observed.

01/07/2022

4:30 PM
On Wednesday afternoon, our General Manager released a statement regarding our spill and subsequent response (see here).

Car washes for residents near the spill continued.  Today a landscaper was onsite to begin the process of replacing vegetation on sidewalk parkways.

We worked with the company delivering the repair pipe to expedite the delivery from Texas.  All pipe needed for the repair was received today—three days early.  We expect to start the permanent repair (via slip lining) this evening.  If all goes well, that should move up our completion date to the middle of next week.

Today, we finished re-inspecting the entire length of the 216^th Street Relocation Trunk Sewer (the sewer that experienced the collapse) looking for damage that may have occurred due to the recent large storms.  There is a segment north of the collapsed area and south of Carson Street that we will be adding to our current repair efforts.  We expect to repair this segment with a cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) liner and have reached out to manufacturers and contractors we work with to see who can provide the liner the soonest.  We will provide more details as plans for this work are firmed up.

The City of Carson has agreed to allow for expanded working hours on construction of the new sewer in Figueroa Street that will ultimately replace the damaged sewer.  Expanded hours will help us finish this work sooner.

Dissolved oxygen levels in the Dominguez Channel continue to be normal and no odors have been observed.  Due to improvements in ocean water quality, beginning tomorrow, we will be focusing our monitoring efforts on the Torrance Lateral and Dominguez Channel.

If you have been impacted by the spill and are not already in contact with our representatives, please email claims@lacsd.org.  Please note that the Dominguez Channel odor issues that began last October are unrelated to this spill.  To inquire about that matter, please visit: lacounty.gov/emergency/dominguez-channel/ or call 626-300-2650.

01/06/2022

4:35 PM
We have arranged for car washes with all but one resident affected by the spill (and are still trying to connect with that remaining resident).  A mobile car washing service began washing cars this morning. 

We have contracted with a landscaper to replace parkway vegetation with either grass or one of three low-maintenance, drought-tolerant options. Residents will pick what they prefer.  For residents that choose to change their parkway vegetation, the landscaper will begin removing the existing vegetation on Friday, January 7.  This removal work is expected to last until approximately January 18.  Afterwards, grass will be installed followed by the drought-tolerant options. Work on replacing topsoil with mulch on the other side of the street will begin after the parkway landscaping is completed.  

We continue to prepare for the permanent sewer repair (via slip lining) and continue inspecting the condition of nearby sewers.  Our crew at the site of the damaged sewer reports no odors and no detectable hydrogen sulfide outside the excavation. 

We also continue monitoring at Dominguez Channel to assess impacts.  Levels of dissolved oxygen in the channel remain normal and no odors have been detected by our sampling staff.   

01/05/2022 

4:50 PM
Now that flow is restored in our damaged sewer, we are doing preparatory work so that we can begin slip lining as soon as the pipe arrives.  In the next few days, we will be pouring concrete at the bottom of the excavation to create waterproof area to the sides of our damaged sewer. From this “pit,” the 42-inch slip lining pipe will be jacked downstream into the existing 48-inch sewer pipe.  As a precaution, we are inspecting the condition of nearby sewers and will add segments that are in poor condition to our emergency repair efforts.

Today, our third-party cleaner finished cleaning 212^th Street (the street was cleaned by us on 12/31 and 1/1).  Arrangements to provide car washing at people’s residences continues with the first washes scheduled for tomorrow.  Preparations continue with a landscaper to replace parkway grass on one side of the street and soil in the planter on the other side.

Today, inner Cabrillo Beach and Long Beach were reopened.  Now, all seven beaches that had been closed due to the spill have reopened.

01/04/2022

4:30 PM
Last night around 6 p.m., flow was restored to our damaged sewer.  The bypass pumping systems were then turned off but will remain in case an issue arises.  In preparation for the slip lining, which is expected to begin next week, we will be doing more inspection of the downstream piping to find and remove any large debris that might impact the slip lining.

Yesterday’s street cleaning included the south half of the street, sidewalk and driveways (the north half was not available due to cars parked in that area).  The remainder of the cleaning will be completed tomorrow when the north side of the street is open for normal street cleaning.

We have hired a third-party expert to help us investigate the reasons for our sewer failure.  That expert will also be reviewing all of our programs, procedures and methods looking for potential improvements.  A meeting to kick off that effort was held this afternoon.

We continue monitoring water quality and sharing our data.  Our latest bacteriological data at the shoreline and offshore from inner Cabrillo Beach indicate that levels meet state standards.

An area we have been examining is presence of hydrogen sulfide and the conditions needed to create hydrogen sulfide.  As reported previously, there are no indications that the spill has changed background hydrogen sulfide levels in the air.  Hydrogen sulfide is created by naturally occurring bacteria when oxygen is not present.  Levels of dissolved oxygen in the Dominguez Channel remain in normal range and are too high to create hydrogen sulfide. 

01/03/2022

4:45 PM
As of Friday morning, our estimate was 6 to 7 million gallons spilled.  After the spill was completely stopped that evening, we updated the estimate to 8.5 million gallons.

Another round of cleaning was completed on 212^th Street, this time by a third-party cleaning service.  Today’s cleaning included driveways of residents.  The Mayor of Carson, Lula Davis-Holmes, our General Manager, Robert Ferrante, and community leader, Dianne Thomas, met with residents on 212^th Street to make sure their concerns are being addressed.

Last night around 7 p.m., we finished removing debris from the collapsed sewer pipe.  We have been able to video inspect a portion of the sewer downstream of the collapse and the sewer is in good condition.  If the remainder of the video inspection is also good, we will restore sewer flow and shut down the bypass pumping systems.

Piping for the permanent repair is expected to be delivered to the site of the collapsed sewer on Monday, January 10.  Our crews will be ready to begin the slip-lining (see prior post for explanation) immediately and that work, including restoring the area, is expected to take 4-5 days.  When construction is completed, the nearby 110 off-ramp can be fully reopened.

Five of the seven beaches that were closed have been reopened.  Cabrillo and Long Beach were still closed at the time of this writing.  We continue sharing the water quality data from our test locations with the LA County Department of Public Health (DPH), Long Beach DPH and Orange County DPH.  These agencies make the decision on when beaches can be reopened.

01/02/2022

3:50 PM
The sewer bypass systems are doing their job and the spill that was stopped at 9 p.m. on Friday has not reoccurred. 

Yesterday, the north side of 212^th Street was cleaned a second time and the storm drains from Moneta Avenue to the Torrance Lateral (which the sewer overflow travelled through) were flushed and the flushed water was captured and drained to the sewer.  The Torrance Lateral is flowing with residual storm runoff which serves to flush this channel.  Our crews have checked for odors and signs of deposition there and none have been noted. We are seeking to arrange another street cleaning on January 3.

An advisory was shared with residents yesterday that explained how the Districts will provide cleaning of driveways (subject to permission) and reimburse residents for car washes.  Today, an additional advisory with some clarifications was provided to residents.

The night the spill began, monitoring for hydrogen sulfide was completed near the spill and none was detected.  The Air Quality Management District has two air quality monitoring stations in the area.  A comparison of hydrogen sulfide levels for two weeks before the spill versus after the spill shows no difference—levels range from about 0.5 to 6 parts per billion.

Work is continuing around the clock to excavate and repair the broken sewer.  Nearly all debris has been removed.  We are now trying to complete a video inspection of the sewer downstream of the collapse to assess whether that segment of sewer is safe for flow.  If safe, we will restore flow to the sewer.

We continue to work towards a permanent repair.  On Friday, we placed orders for piping that will be used to “slip-line” the existing sewer.  Slip-lining involves placing a 42-inch pipe within the existing 48-inch sewer, which will provide a new, corrosion-resistant pipe to carry the sewage.  We are expecting the 42-inch pipe to be delivered later this week and the permanent repair would then begin.  Once the permanent repair is done, the area can be restored including reopening the 110 offramp lanes.

01/01/2022 

9:35 AM
Districts staff and contractors worked through the night.  At 9 p.m. last night, we got a fifth bypass system going.  That combined with reduced evening flows was enough to completely stop the sewage overflow.  As protection against today’s high flows, we have installed 6^th, 7^th and 8^th bypass systems.  Our crews finished cleaning 212^th Street last night after the overflow stopped.

Work to excavate and clear the collapsed sewer near the 110 freeway is expected to be complete today.  Once cleared, that sewer’s capacity will be partly restored, which will provide additional ability to handle peak sewer flows.  Our focus will then turn towards a permanent repair of that sewer.

The monitoring of water quality mentioned in our last update continues. 

We will continue to have staff monitor the situation.

If you have any questions or concerns, email us at info@lacsd.org.

12/31/2021

5:45 PM
Here is a report of today’s progress:  

Four systems were installed to bypass flow around the blocked portion of the sewer. Unfortunately, the combined bypass capacity was not enough to carry all of today’s flows and some flow continued to overflow onto 212^th Street.Our team is currently working to install a fifth bypass system to completely eliminate the overflow.  

At the same time, work to excavate and clear the collapsed sewer is ongoing.  Once cleared, that sewer’s capacity will be partly restored which will greatly improve the situation. Our crews did clean the majority of 212^th Street such that residents can safely access their properties. Advisories describing the situation were handed out to affected residents and posted nearby.

Our staff is monitoring water at 18 locations including shoreline, offshore and in Dominguez Channel.  We will continue monitoring until the water quality returns to normal levels.

We remain committed to restoring the area as quickly as possible and thank residents for their patience.

10:45 AM
We had our first sewer bypass system started at 2:10 a.m. and a second bypass started at 2:40 a.m. These two bypasses were almost enough to stop the spill but more was needed. Sewage initially stopped overflowing onto 212^th street around 8 a.m.  By 8:50 a.m., a third bypass was running, which provides some protection in case sewer flows increase.  At 9:00 a.m., staff was working to install a fourth bypass to provide additional protection.  

As of 10:00 a.m., a small amount of overflow had restarted. We are implementing additional measures to completely eliminate the overflow, including removal of the debris blockage so that we can restore the sewer capacity. We have crews working to clean the area where the spill occurred.  The cleanup is expected to be completed this afternoon.

Our preliminary estimate of amount spilled is 6 to 7 million gallons. The spilled sewage went to a nearby storm drain and then Dominguez Channel and the LA Harbor. Devices monitored for hydrogen sulfide and none was detected overnight.

As a safety precaution due to spilled sewage reaching the ocean, the LA County Department of Public Health issued a closure of beaches from Long Beach to Rancho Palos Verdes.

We will be working with health officials over the coming days to monitor water quality to determine when beaches are safe to reopen and assess environmental impacts.

Our top priority is the health and safety of the impacted communities and we will continue our efforts until all health and environmental issues are addressed.

12/30/2021

9:27 PM 
Our emergency contractor is setting up a system to pump sewage out of the sewer upstream of the blocked section. The pumped flow will then be returned to the sewer downstream of the blockage. A second contractor will then begin excavating the area of the sinkhole to clear the blockage. Currently, one lane of the northbound 110 off-ramp to Carson Street is closed and the second lane will likely be closed. Once the sewer spill is stopped, our efforts will turn towards cleanup. 

7:44 PM
We have notified County Public Health, County Emergency Services, County Flood Control, the City of Carson, the Carson Sheriff, and the LA Regional Water Quality Board. We have multiple crews on-site with specialty contractors. Our first priority is to stop the spill by pumping the flow to an undamaged section of sewer. Crews will be working through the night.

6:35 PM 
This afternoon, we became aware of a sewage spill located at the intersection of 212^th St. and Moneta St. in the City of Carson. Our crews are onsite working to contain the spill. The spill occurred due to a sewer collapse near the 110 Northbound off-ramp to 220^th St. Currently, there is no threat to public health and property aside from the spilled sewage.

LA County Public Works, Public Health and the Sheriff Department have been notified. As more information becomes available, we will continue to provide updates on our website and social media.

For more information, contact us at 562-325-7329 or info@lacsd.org.