Sewage release to the Willamette River
Sewage Release Advisory
City maintenance crews responding to reports of a missing manhole cover on the evening of March 31, 2014 discovered sewage flowing out of a manhole along Interstate 84 near NE 22nd Avenue. Sewage was flowing over the ground to a stormwater catch basin that discharges to the Willamette River near the interchange of Interstate 5 and Interstate 84 between the Steel and Burnside bridges.
Someone had removed the manhole cover and had apparently been disposing of garbage in the manhole. The debris eventually blocked the sewer pipe, which caused sewage to flow out of the manhole. A vactor truck removed the debris and stopped the sewage release at about 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 1.
From the time crews confirmed the sewage release until the time they stopped it, they estimated about 6,000 gallons of sewage had drained into the catch basin and drained into the Willamette.
Because of increased bacteria in the water, the public should avoid contact with the river between the Burnside and Steel bridges until Thursday, April 3.
For more information contact Linc Mann, 503-823-5328.
The Bureau of Environmental Services works with Portland residents and businesses to protect water quality, public health, and the environment through wastewater collection and treatment, sewer construction and maintenance, stormwater management, and stream and watershed restoration.
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