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City Sewers

Spills

About spills

Maintenance crews regularly clean the sewers to prevent spills. They also respond to emergencies when a sewer blockage occurs. The number of spills in the City has significantly decreased over the last five years as a result of these efforts.

Fats, oil, grease, and tree roots from our homes and businesses are the most common causes of spills. The result can be a sewage overflow, usually through maintenance holes and onto the street.

The sewage then runs into the gutters and eventually into storm drain inlets. The storm drain system is connected to our rivers, Santa Monica Bay, and the ocean. Spills create a hazard that is potentially dangerous to our health and the environment because the wastewater that overflows is not treated.

Sewage blockages can also cause backups into homes and businesses that do not have properly operating sewer backwater valves.

sewer cutaway