Oakridge declares emergency after wastewater overflows into Willamette River

This story has been updated to include comments from Springfield Utility Board and Oakridge City Administrator James Cleavenger.

City of Oakridge officials declared a state of emergency Wednesday, June 3, due to a sanitary sewer overflow “threatening life and property.”

The overflow, which was discovered Wednesday morning, “was found to cause wastewater to drain into a storm drain spillway that feeds into the Middle Fork Willamette River,” according to a declaration seeking county assistance.

Drinking water provided by the city of Oakridge was unaffected and safe to use, the declaration said, “however, environmental risks and compromise of downstream water of the river remain unknown.”

The overflow affected the river east of Fairy Glen Drive and south of Berry Street. Oakridge public works employees were repairing the broken stormwater pipe north of Highway 58 between the Orchid Health Oakridge Clinic and the A&W Restaurant, according to the emergency declaration.

Oakridge City Administrator James Cleavenger said the leak was stopped Wednesday. He said public works employees discovered that a large clog in the sewer line forced untreated sewage into an old, previously unknown, overflow bypass that led to the storm water system.

“There is a very small chance that if someone interacted or ingested the contaminated water entering the surface water they could become seriously ill,” Cleavenger told Lookout Eugene-Springfield by email. “We will be cleaning up the spill site and conducting daily water tests at the river to make sure the public is safe.”

Lane County Emergency Management assisted the city, he said.

The overflow bypass, a legacy feature that is no longer needed, was removed and concrete caps were put in to seal the sewer pipe, according to information posted on the city’s Facebook page.

A spokesperson for Eugene Water & Electric Board said the utility’s drinking water is not impacted because it comes from the McKenzie River.

Springfield’s water comes from wellfields that tap groundwater, as well as a water treatment plant on the Middle Fork Willamette River. Zak Gosa-Lewis, a spokesperson for Springfield Utility Board, said the utility’s water quality monitoring on the Middle Fork Willamette River and at its treatment plant shows that the sewage leak is not currently posing a threat to Springfield’s drinking water supply.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and have increased our sampling frequency,” he said in an email. “If conditions change, we have procedures in place and are prepared to make operational adjustments to address the situation.”

Oakridge declares emergency after wastewater overflows into Willamette River

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