No-contact warning for Percival Creek lifted after tests come back clean
Thurston County Public Health and Social Services is no longer warning people in Olympia to stay away from Percival Creek and the bodies of water it flows into, after water quality test results came back clean.
Last weekend, an estimated 30,000 gallons of sewage spilled into the creek, after a tree fell about 10:30 p.m. Friday and broke a pedestrian bridge that crosses the creek, along with a sewage pipe and a water pipe that run under the bridge.
Olympia Public Works bypassed the broken pipe with a flexible hose and stopped the sewage spill about 10 a.m. Saturday, according to Water Resources Director Eric Christensen.
The creek flows into Capitol Lake and inner Budd Inlet, and Public Health advised the public Saturday to avoid contact with water in those areas, along with the creek, until further notice.
That warning was lifted and signs cautioning the public were removed from the area Thursday, Environmental Health Division Director Art Starry wrote in an email to The Olympian. Results from water quality samples taken Monday from Percival Creek, the West Bay Park area, the Olympia Yacht Club, and Priest Point Park showed the water was not contaminated by sewage.
At this point, the public can return to normal activity, Starry told The Olympian Friday.
“If you want to let your dog run around on the beach” at West Bay Park, Starry said, “we don’t have any concerns about that.”
Public Health will now resume to its normal schedule of sampling water quality in the area.
“We’re fortunate the city was able to respond pretty quickly and keep a bad situation from getting really bad,” he said. “We’re fortunate things cleared up quickly.”
This story was originally published February 14, 2020 at 8:01 AM.
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