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City crews this morning responded to and stopped a sewage overflow from a maintenance hole in SW Portland, estimating that about 400 gallons reached the ground with a portion of that amount then reaching a creek in SW Portland’s Marquam Nature Park.
The release occurred near a residence on SW Sherwood Place near the intersection of Fairmont Boulevard. Crews stopped the overflow around 9:10 a.m., about an hour after reporting to the scene.
Environmental Services advises people and their pets to avoid contact with the unnamed creek in the park to prevent the possibility of exposure to elevated bacteria levels. The advisory is in effect for 48 hours.
The cause of the release is unknown and remains under investigation. This is the third sewage release to a public place in the last week, an unusually high number.
Environmental Services reminds the public that sewage overflows often are preventable. The most common causes of overflows are pipes that become blocked with wipes, fats, or grease as well as tree roots. To prevent clogs and overflows and protect public health, property, and our environment, Environmental Services advises the public:
To report sewage odors, which may indicate a sewage release, call the City’s maintenance hotline at 503-823-1700. That line is operated all hours, all days. Here is more information on what not to flush.
About Environmental Services: The City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services - your sewer and stormwater utility - provides Portland residents with programs to protect water quality and public health, including wastewater collection and treatment, sewer construction and maintenance, stormwater management, and stream and watershed restoration. www.portland.gov/bes/news.
City crews this morning responded to and stopped a sewage overflow from a maintenance hole in SW Portland, estimating that about 400 gallons reached the ground with a portion of that amount then reaching a creek in SW Portland’s Marquam Nature Park.
The release occurred near a residence on SW Sherwood Place near the intersection of Fairmont Boulevard. Crews stopped the overflow around 9:10 a.m., about an hour after reporting to the scene.
Environmental Services advises people and their pets to avoid contact with the unnamed creek in the park to prevent the possibility of exposure to elevated bacteria levels. The advisory is in effect for 48 hours.
The cause of the release is unknown and remains under investigation. This is the third sewage release to a public place in the last week, an unusually high number.
Environmental Services reminds the public that sewage overflows often are preventable. The most common causes of overflows are pipes that become blocked with wipes, fats, or grease as well as tree roots. To prevent clogs and overflows and protect public health, property, and our environment, Environmental Services advises the public:
To report sewage odors, which may indicate a sewage release, call the City’s maintenance hotline at 503-823-1700. That line is operated all hours, all days. Here is more information on what not to flush.
About Environmental Services: The City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services - your sewer and stormwater utility - provides Portland residents with programs to protect water quality and public health, including wastewater collection and treatment, sewer construction and maintenance, stormwater management, and stream and watershed restoration. www.portland.gov/bes/news.
Crews repaired a sewage leak last night on the northeast side of Mill Pond Park in the Forest Heights neighborhood of NW Portland. Portions of Cedar Mill Creek in Washington County also are affected.
Environmental Services advises people to avoid contact with the water in Mill Pond as well as the immediate downstream areas of Cedar Mill Creek for 48 hours due to increased bacteria levels in the water. The advisory includes Jordan Woods Natural Area, which is about a mile downstream from the source of the release.
While the pond is easily accessible, the affected portions of the creek are surrounded by steep embankments, and not readily reached. Warning signs are in place around Mill Pond Park.
Crews estimate about 48,000 gallons of sewage leaked from a break in a maintenance hole, seeping into the pond, which flows into the creek. Crews responded to the leak about 2 p.m. yesterday and stopped the release around 10 p.m.
Emergency repairs continue, with crews installing a bypass system, which will remain in place while longterm repairs are made.
About Environmental Services
Environmental Services - the City of Portland’s sewer and stormwater utility - protects public health and the environment by collecting and recovering resources from the city’s wastewater, managing stormwater, and restoring and protecting Portland’s rivers, streams, and watersheds.