Residents warned to avoid Percival Creek, other areas after another sewage spill
Raw sewage has once again spilled into Percival Creek in west Olympia, the city of Olympia and Thurston County Environmental Health announced late Tuesday.
The leak, which originated near a similar spill in February, began over Memorial Day Weekend from a sewer line that crosses the creek, but the leak wasn’t discovered until Tuesday morning.
About 1,400 gallons of raw sewage per hour were discharged into the creek, officials say.
City of Olympia staff have stopped the spill, and now Thurston County Environmental Health staff are warning residents by posting signs at Marathon Park, Capitol Lake, and West Bay Landing.
There are already signs at lower Percival Creek.
Water quality testing is expected to take place on the creek Wednesday.
People and pets should avoid contact with the water below the Cooper Point Bridge, including Percival Cove, Capitol Lake, and inner Budd Inlet, until testing shows it is safe.
In February, a tree fell and damaged a pedestrian bridge, a water pipe and a sewer pipe that cross the creek, resulting in a spill of about 30,000 gallons.
This story was originally published May 26, 2020 at 5:57 PM.
