Local sewage spill; contamination warning

A sewage spill in the North City area prompted a contamination warning along a stretch of ocean shoreline in neighboring Del Mar today, authorities said.

A blocked sanitation pipeline began sending wastewater overflowing into a storm drain near the intersection of El Camino Real and San Dieguito Road about 7 a.m., according to the county Department of Environmental Health.

By the time San Diego city crews got the problem under control about 45 minutes later, roughly 5,700 gallons of sewage had entered San Dieguito River, which empties into the ocean about three miles to the west, near Del Mar Race Track, the DEH reported.

Signs warning of water-contact health hazards will stand near the mouth of the river until follow-up testing deems the area safe for recreational uses.