On Sunday, August 20th, Staff was alerted to an overflow coming from the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant located at 680 Ivy Avenue. When staff arrived onsite they observed sludge being released from the plant’s digester. The Water Quality crew quickly stopped the overflow and cleaned up the sludge that overflowed onto the street and the nearby catch basin. No sludge entered the bay however approximately 150 gallons of sludge was retrieved during the cleanup. Because the sludge did not discharge at an approved location, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) requires the city to report this as a sanitary sewer overflow (SSO). As a result, DEQ and the Oregon Emergency Response System (OERS), were notified of the incident. Any questions can be directed to the Coos Bay Public Works Department at 541-269-8918 extension 3565.
