SAN GABRIEL (CNS) – Construction crews worked on Wednesday, Sept. 16 to save a San Gabriel home that was left teetering over a wash when heavy rains deluged a temporary retaining wall and ruptured a sewage line that forced the closure of beaches in Long Beach, about 33 miles away.
The collapse occurred around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 5300 block of Pondosa Avenue as a rain storm pounded the region.
Officials with the Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority, which is conducting the construction project behind the home, said the torrent of storm runoff washed away a temporary concrete wall that had been built to control water during the project.
A temporary sewage line was also ruptured, sending an estimated 480,000 gallons of sewage into the Rubio wash, which ultimately leads to the ocean. Officials in Long Beach on Tuesday closed all of that city’s coastal beaches due to the spill, saying the beaches will remain closed until bacteria tests confirm the ocean water is safe for swimming.
Paul Huber of the ACE Construction Authority said today efforts were continuing to save the house, which was left in danger of sliding into the wash.
“The house has had a visual inspection,” he said. “We believe at this point — we need to do further evaluation — that we may be able to save the house.”
The authority is putting the displaced family up in a hotel while repairs are being done.
