On Tuesday morning, June 14, 2016, the City of Coos Bay experienced a sanitary sewer overflow. The overflow was caused by a deficiency in the force main sewer pipe that serves Eastside. The deficiency was located along the bank on the east side of the Isthmus Slough Bridge. The spill was reported by an Oregon Department of Transportation Bridge Inspector who inspects this bridge on a daily basis. As such, it is known that the spill started sometime between Monday and Tuesday morning. Once the spill was reported, it took the City wastewater crew seven minutes to respond and shut down the pump station that serves this force main; and as a result, it stopped the spill. A sanitary sewer overflow of 12,760 gallons has been estimated, and it was reported to Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Oregon Emergency Response System, and Oregon Department of Agriculture. The City mobilized a contractor on Tuesday afternoon, and the repair was completed by early evening of the same day. The City had identified this segment of pipe as in need of replacement due to its age. Currently, the City has contracted with the Dyer Partnership to prepare plans and specifications for the replacement of this line. Due to the limited in-water work window, it is our goal to start construction on this project in October. Any questions can be directed to the City of Coos Bay Public Works Department at 541-269-8918.
