Palos Verdes Action Plan

UPDATED 08/09/24

The Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (LACSD) operate the main trunk sewers that transport wastewater out of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Currently, our sewer infrastructure continues to be in full operation. However, land movement is unpredictable and any significant future movement has the potential to disrupt our service and infrastructure.

Due to recent increased land movement in the Seaview and Beach Club communities, LACSD is working with the City of Rancho Palos Verdes and local utilities to move an additional 2,000-feet of sewer pipe above ground along Palos Verdes Drive South. LACSD is also working on constructing a new 960-foot sewer connection along Yacht Harbor Drive, south of Palos Verdes Drive South, to continue sewer service to the Portuguese Bend Beach Club neighborhood. In the event of any future significant land movement that damages our infrastructure, LACSD has an emergency response plan in place (see section below).

In the meantime, we continue working and communicating with the City, the LA County Office of Emergency Management Services, and utility partners to mitigate the impacts on the community.

This page will be updated daily as needed. All our social media handles will provide notices as well, including Twitter (@SanDistricts), Facebook (@SanitationDistrictsLACounty), Instagram (@SanDistricts) and Nextdoor.

To report sewage overflows or sewer emergencies, please call our 24-hr number, 562-437-6520.

For any public or media inquiries, please call 562-325-7329 or email info@lacsd.org.

In the event of a catastrophic failure that affects LACSD infrastructure, we have an emergency response plan that will route flows around the slide area using a series of pump stations and vacuum trucks to transport the waste into other working sewers. Residents will be notified of the specific locations where LACSD crews will be working. Expect increased traffic to impact these areas as vacuum trucks transport sewage from the affected sites. We anticipate these vacuum trucks will increase traffic on Palos Verdes Drive South, Hawthorne Boulevard, Crest Road, Crenshaw Boulevard, and Palos Verdes Drive West, assuming these roads are not damaged. This page is your best source of information for exact vacuum truck routes.

In the event of a major sewer failure, all residents in the impacted area will be asked to immediately reduce their water usage to reduce the amount of sewage that could spill into the environment. A service map indicating which areas flow to our main sewer system in the area is shown below. This request does NOT apply to homes with septic systems because they are not directly connected to the sewer system.

LACSD staff will work around the clock in this type of emergency to reduce the immediate impacts and restore sewer service to the area. Residents will be informed of all repair work taking place. Please bookmark this page for ongoing, immediate updates. During any large-scale emergency, LACSD will cooperate and leverage all its public notification resources including those of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes to ensure outgoing communications.

We appreciate residents and the public’s patience and cooperation in protecting homes and the environment during this challenging time. We are working in cooperation with all local public and private entities to address and mitigate this situation as best we can.

HOMES THAT SHOULD MINIMIZE WATER IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY

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Frequently Asked Questions (To be used in the event of catastrophic failure.)

How long is the emergency sewer repair expected to last?

How can I minimize indoor water use?

Residents will be asked to limit indoor water use to reduce sewer flows by as many of these actions as possible:

Take short 3-minute showers instead of baths.

Avoid unnecessary toilet flushes.

Turn off tap while brushing teeth, shaving or doing dishes.

Run dishwashers and washing machines only with full loads.

Use disposable plates, cups, and cutlery to avoid washing dishes.

Use a bucket to collect and reuse water instead of letting it go down the drain.

Minimize use of garbage disposal by composting food.

Please do your part to reduce the risk of sewage discharge to our community.

What are the consequences if I don’t reduce water usage inside my house (e.g., flushing, showering, washing dishes, etc.)?

If your property is connected to a sewer (not septic), all water that goes down the drain in your residence goes into sewer piping in the nearby street.

Flow from the properties connected to a sewer system in the orange-shaded area in the map above is directed to LACSD’s Abalone Cove Pumping Plant, the main pumping plant in the area. The piping from this plant runs above ground along Palos Verdes Drive South. All wastewater flowing through this pipe could overflow at any point during a catastrophic event. In this case, please minimize your indoor water use while we work to repair our lines.

How do I report a sewage spill in my area?