EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (CNS) — To help El Segundo residents' quality of life amid an odor caused by a sewage spill at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant, Los Angeles is offering residents reimbursements for either air conditioning units or a hotel room through July 29.

On July 11, 17 million gallons of untreated sewage was discharged into the ocean from Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant. A county official initially tweeted that a power outage had caused the problem, but plant officials later attributed it to debris that clogged screens and caused flooding at the facility. Crews are still working to remove excess water and sewage from the facility, and in the meantime, the city is offering nearby residents help to cope with the smell.

Those who don't have air conditioning can purchase air conditioning units and be reimbursed $600 for homes 1,000 square feet and smaller and $1,200 for homes more than 1,000 square feet.

If residents prefer to stay in a hotel room, they can be reimbursed up to $182 per day, as well as meals and incidentals up to $62 per day for each person who lives full time in the household. The offer is available through July 29.

The offers are available to El Segundo residents who have homes within the boundaries of Imperial Avenue, Grand Avenue and Main Street. Applications must be submitted within 24 hours of checking into a hotel or purchasing an air conditioning unit. The applications will soon be available at lacitysan.org.

The Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant discharged 17 million gallons of untreated sewage through its one- and five-mile outlets on July 11.

Beaches were closed the next day, prompting questions about why it took a day to notify the public about the untreated sewage spill and close the following areas:

• Dockweiler State Beach at Water Way Extension
• Dockweiler State Beach at Hyperion Plant
• El Segundo Beach
• Grand Avenue Storm Drain

The beaches were reopened July 15 after ocean water samples collected over two days met state standards for acceptable water quality, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. 

Hyperion Executive Plant Manager Timeyin Dafeta issued a statement on July 12 saying the plant "became inundated with overwhelming quantities of debris, causing backup of the headworks facilities. The plant's relief system was triggered and sewage flows were controlled through use of the plant's one-mile outfall and discharge of untreated sewage into Santa Monica Bay."

Dafeta said the 17 million gallons of sewage — about 6% of a daily load — were discharged as an emergency measure to prevent the plant from going offline and discharging even more raw sewage. Normally, treated sewage is discharged through the five-mile outfall, not the one-mile outfall.