IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. -- A spill of several hundred gallons of sewage from a ruptured sanitation line left a stretch of South Bay ocean shore fouled and several public accommodations closed today, authorities said.

The pipeline failure underneath Imperial Beach Pier was discovered about 3 p.m. Wednesday, according to the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health.

City crews got control of the overflow of wastewater, which directly entered the surf, and shut down a restaurant and public restrooms on the pier pending repairs, the DEH reported.

Signs warning of contamination hazards will remain posted along the beach in the area until follow-up testing determines that the pollution has subsided.