Sewage spill in Willamette yesterday

[Smeagol]

Most of you likely heard this yesterday evening on the news, but here's a copy of the press release.
----
Clackamas County crews stop sewage overflow into Willamette River

A sewage overflow into the Willamette River was stopped at 3:50 p.m. this afternoon by Clackamas County crews from the Tri-City Water Pollution Control Plant, located in Oregon City, 15941 S. Agnes Blvd. The overflow, which began at 10:10 a.m. this morning, resulted in approximately 1.76 million gallons of raw sewage bypassing into the Willamette River.

At 6 a.m. this morning, a gate valve failed after a routine cleaning of a wet-well, which resulted in the overflow. The gate, which allows raw sewage to flow into the treatment plant, was temporarily jammed and could not be reopened until crews managed to free the gate by using an 80-ton crane.

The County’s Water Environment Services department (WES) has posted warning signs at four area boat ramps. WES officials are recommending that people don’t swim in the river or come in contact with the water for 48 hours - from the mouth of the Clackamas River, where it intersects with the Willamette River, to downstream at the Cedar Oaks boat ramp located in West Linn. The signs will be posted for 48 hours after the 3:50 p.m. repair. Signs are posted at these boat ramps:

· Sports Craft Marine
· Clackamette Park
· Meldrum Park Bar
· Cedar Oaks

Crews from the Clackamas County Department of Transportation and Development assisted with the effort.

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has been notified. The Tri-City facility is maintained and operated by Clackamas County’s Department of Water Environment Services. WES provides wastewater treatment and collection services to six cities and several unincorporated areas of Clackamas County and maintains and operates 17 pump stations.

[Keta]

Here comes another state record bass. :shocked:

[bigfishon]

when is there not some form of that going into the Willamette, from what I have have heard it is almost a landfill at this point.
:sleep:

[Mack Slayer]

I wish the DEQ would actually develop a backbone and start hitting folks with criminal as well as real (read "significant") civil penalties.

I understand that systems fail and people make mistakes... Accordingly, all of the sewage treatment plants need to have better built-in fault tolerant controls, such as significant size diversion ponds, double-key controls on gates, manual shut-down (overrides) on everything.

The chronic sewage spill issues (especially on the Willamette) are a state and national disgrace! Expect to see more spills today through the weekend, as the big rains overwhelm the PDX system... What a shame. :hoboy:

[The Fishing Geek]

Ah, nothing like the fall run of brown trout on the Willamette.

Seriously, the city of Portland is on a 10-year plan to get all of this fixed. It's sad that it is this way in the first place.

[Smeagol]

And to be fair, this was the first time in several years that this particular plant has had an overflow problem. Unlike other plants in the Portland area, every rain storm that moves through does not cause an overflow at the clackamas facility. From what I understand, this was a nasty problem involving a huge 6500 pound gate that not only failed, but actually got stuck in a position that prevented it from being easily removed. Five cranes later, they were finally able to get the gate removed. It was a mess.

[onebuck]

There went any ideas of sturgeon fishing at Kelly Point for me.

[Keta]

My youngest brother is head of maintenance at a waste water treatment plant up river of Portland and they haven't had a spill into the river in over 15 years.

[Seefood Man]

OOOOOH POOP :hoboy:

[Red Green]

That makes me sick.

[FishinMission]

seems to me...they shoulda posted their warnings at the Milaukie, or Oak Grove ramps, since they're both immediately downriver from the other one's mentioned, and it IS feasible for someone to travel UPRIVER.

Actually...there's been sewer discharges by everybody along the path...Oak Lodge, West Linn, Portland...etc. for "whatever" reasons.

S'why I don't eat Willamette sturgeon. :whazzup:

Mark

[Jettin' Fool]

http://www.ifish.net/uploads/052919308.gif

[whitewaterbill]

Mark,

Those fish have "good filters" and only retain the things that are healthy for you....

They grow to the legal size faster also.

Bill

[skeezer]

bad thing , most of the treatment plants are right by a waterway of somesort ..... :whazzup:

[graybeard]

The Oregonian should title their article on this "Willamette River Restocked with Brown Trout" -- Local Species!

[WaterDog]

bad thing , most of the treatment plants are right by a waterway of somesort ..... :whazzup:
<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">Where else do you discharge a few hundred thousand to 10's of millions of gallons of treated water EVERY DAY? graemlins/idea.gif

Stuff happens. Be glad the treatment plants are there doing what they do. It wasnt that long ago that raw sewage went directly into the river everyday because there was no treatment. Fixing the overflow problems take time and money. Last estimate I heard was the City of Portland would spend $1 BILLION in the next 10 years. It's not a problem that can be fixed over night and it is not a problem that is unique to the Willamette. This happens all over the country.

[Mrdorkfish]

I think it's a planned event, every year when there is an expected heavy rainfall some kind of sewage plant or something overflows....

Mrdorkfish

Louis

[Paddlefish]

Waterdog has hit it pretty close.

When there were only a few thousand "Oregonians," (ie Modocs, Calapooias, Chinooks, etc.) everyone could have ****** right in the river and it wouldn't have made much difference. It's not the same, with 2 million of us here. (And don't tell me that you don't ****!) :rolleyes:

Portland's problem is that the antiquated design and capacity of their sewage system can't keep the street runoff separated from the true sewage when the volumes get too high (like when it rains.) So, they mix together, then overflow the sewage system. :depressed:

One local sewage treatment facility that's one of the very best in the country is the Clean Water Services (previously Unified Sewerage Agency) plant in Durham. They process sewage for most of Washington County (Beaverton, Tigard, Hillsboro, etc.) to an extremely high quality level -- many millions of gallons every day.

I know that most people who haven't been there believe that the Tualatin is horribly nasty. :shocked: Trust me; it isn't. From water level, with a canoe paddle and fishing rod in hand, it's a living, healthy, un-smelly and wildlife-filled waterway, complete with clean-water-loving species like crayfish, beavers, and salmon and steelhead runs. (It's just not a typical Oregon Coast Range or Cascade-type whitewater river.) And one more thing: you can't tell the difference in water quality upstream or downstream of that Durham treatment plant. :cool:

[Point-of-Sale Clerk]

Paddlefish

FYI... Durham may be good but Waterdog knows what it is like to work for the best / cleanest treatment plant in Oregon... :grin:

(well thats what someone told me :grin: )

*** Clerk

[skeezer]

well waterdog we put that special cake and sludge on our fields to help things grow so dont blow your top , all of the plants dont have to be next to a waterway ..... :wink:

[WaterDog]

That is true ***. :grin: We do have have the best treatment plant in the state. But, because we have a very old collection system, some of it 150 years old, we still have overflows due to inflow and infiltration in the winter. I'm working on that part as best as I can. :smile:

Skeezer, not blowing my top. :smile: We apply biosoilds to fields as well but you still have to put the water somewhere. No matter where you put it, if you live in the valley, its get to the Willamette sooner or later. Even for a population of 25K we still discharge a few million gallons a day to the Yamhill.

It may be hard to believe but our plant discharges water that is cleaner and cooler than the river itself. :cool:

[skeezer]

i believe that , everything flows out once it hits the ground it is heading to a waterway of somesort :smile: