Sanitary Sewer Overflow, Jan. 25

News release City of Coos Bay.  The City’s experienced a sanitary sewer overflow this afternoon at 3:00 pm.  The City’s contractor was televising a section of newly installed sanitary sewer pipe near the intersection of S. Empire Boulevard and Fulton Avenue.  In order to perform this operation, the contractor had to pump around the segment of pipe that they wanted to televise.  The bypass pumping failed at the downstream manhole causing raw sewage to escape the manhole.  City staff was on-site at the time and immediately mobilized the City’s collection crew.  The sewage was contained behind construction fencing that was installed along the perimeter of the construction site.  The City’s collection crew cleaned up the spill, which was estimated at approximately 300 gallons, and no sewage reached First Creek.  However, because raw sewage was not contained within the sanitary system, this is considered a sanitary sewer overflow (SSO).  As a result, the City will report this incident to DEQ and the Oregon Emergency Response System (OERS). The City will work with the contractor and require additional measures be in place along with additional training to reduce the potential for an incident of the nature to occur in the future.  Any questions can be directed to the City of Coos Bay Public Works Department at 541-269-8918.