Over 40K gallons of raw sewage enters Salem’s waterways as city thaws
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – As temperatures rise and ice begins to thaw, the City of Salem has faced three instances of sewage overflowing into their waterways.
More than 40,000 gallons of diluted raw sewage were dumped into the Willamette River, Shelton Ditch, and Pringle Creek on Thursday. Due to potentially high levels of bacteria, city officials say to avoid these areas until further notice.
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“When the ground becomes saturated, groundwater enters the sanitary sewer from cracks and holes in pipes in addition to footing drains and other sources of extraneous water from private property,” according to a city press release.
The Willamette River’s 22,000 gallons of overflow began Thursday around 5 p.m. at the intersection of Union and Church Street.
The second overflow came from three separate manholes near 885 Airport Road SE, and left 24,335 gallons in the Shelton Ditch between 3:38 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. Officials say the jam was caused by grease and rags.
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Pringle Creek, which had previously noted capacity concerns, received 306 gallons of sewage near 4391 Nalani Court SE between 2:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.
The city will continue to take water quality samples until these areas are safe.
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