Spill of 1,800 gallons of sewage forces closure of Torrey Pines State Beach

A sewage spill near the coast sent some 1,800 gallons of effluent into a storm drain earlier this week, forcing officials to close a stretch of Torrey Pines State Beach.

The county Department of Environmental Health on Wednesday, Aug. 12, said the ocean at the northern boundary of the state beach is off-limits, and will remain so until it is safe to get back into the water.

The site, north of Carmel Valley Road, is in the city of Del Mar.

Little information about the spill itself was immediately available, but county officials said 1,800 gallons had gotten into a storm drain before the spill was brought under control.

The closure remains in effect — and signs warning of contaminated water will stay up — until the testing reveals the water is safe for swimmers.

— Teri Figueroa is a reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune