Olympia Public Works problem-solving after sewer pipe breaks
Olympia public works crews are hard at work after an estimated 30,000 gallons of sewage spilled into Percival Creek over about half a day last weekend.
A tree fell and damaged a pedestrian bridge, a water pipe and a sewer pipe that cross the creek, according to Olympia Public Works, and Thurston County Public Health and Social Services is still advising people to avoid contact with water in the creek, Capitol Lake, and inner Budd Inlet until further notice.
The tree fell over the bridge, which is about a half mile west of Deschutes Parkway Southwest, about 10:30 p.m. Friday, and people called the city to report that water pressure dropped in the area, Eric Christensen, Water Resources Director for Olympia Public Works, told The Olympian.
Crews arrived to find water shooting high into the air from the broken pipe and had water shut off by midnight, Christensen said.
They realized sewage also was involved and waited until daylight to address it due to safety issues, Christensen said. Within about two hours of arriving on scene Saturday morning, crews were able to bypass the broken sewer pipe with a flexible hose and stop the spill.
Repairing the line is a long-term project: Monday, Public Works planned to meet with engineering staff and structural consultants. It will be monitoring the site, coming up with a more permanent solution, and stabilizing the temporary solution in the meantime, Christensen said.
“Right now, we’ve got the situation under control,” Christensen said. “That’s the key thing.”
A tree limb fell on the bridge about a decade ago, Christensen said, and the city hired an arborist to remove “hazard trees.” Recent heavy rains in the area increased flows in the creek, however, and Christensen believes the high flows undercut this tree and caused it to fall.
Thurston County Public Health and Social Services was collecting water quality samples from Percival Creek, the West Bay Park area, the Olympia Yacht Club, and Priest Point Park on Monday, according to Art Starry, Environmental Health Director for the department.
The tests will look for fecal coliform bacteria, Starry said, which will indicate whether and to what level water is contaminated by sewage. Results from the tests are expected mid-week.
If levels remain high, signs warning people to avoid contact with the water will remain in the area and stay there until levels have dropped, Starry said.
People with specific concerns are asked to call Thurston County Public Health’s water quality line at 360-867-2626.
This story was originally published February 10, 2020 at 3:20 PM.
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