74
Beachgoers sat in the sand near a closed beach sign at El Segundo Beach in El Segundo, Calif. on Thursday. (Matthew King/Heal The Bay via AP)
LOS ANGELES ยป The second of two Los Angeles beaches closed after hypodermic needles, condoms and tampon applicators washed ashore has reopened.
Dockweiler State Beach reopened Saturday afternoon, while adjacent El Segundo Beach reopened Friday evening.
A handful of beachgoers made their way into the waves at Dockweiler after the announcement, as temperatures in the area climbed into the 80s amid an early autumn heat wave.
The waste was spotted at Dockweiler on Wednesday, leading to that beach’s immediate closure and El Segundo’s the next day. Excessive bacteria levels were also found in the water.
Sanitation District spokeswoman Tonya Durrell said crews collected at least 200 pounds of waste from the beaches. Officials believe it was discharged from a pipeline belonging to the city-owned Hyperion Treatment Plant.
