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West Salem, you may flush.
The city of Salem said sewer service was restored Saturday night after repairs on two pipelines.
Service to about 34,000 people was disrupted on Friday, Dec. 27. The main pipeline transporting wastewater from West Salem to Keizer for treatment broke on Thursday, Dec. 26. A secondary line then failed on Friday, prompting the city to ask those in West Salem to refrain from disposing of wastewater.
Crews worked through the night Friday to repair one 18-inch line and then turned to the 24-inch pipe on Saturday. The pipes failed not far from the Willow Lake Wastewater Treatment Facility, adjacent to a Keizer subdivision.
While repairs were underway, wastewater was diverted out of the system to fields on the east side of Northwest Wallace Road. City officials posted the areas, warning people to avoid contact with the contaminated water.
“Water quality samples will continue to be taken until the results indicate that the issue has been cleared. The signs will be removed once the bacteria levels return to normal,” the city said in a press statement on Sunday, Dec. 29.
The sewage flowed in areas of Glen Creek, River Bend Slough and parts of Wallace Marine Park. Some reached the Willamette River. With recent heavy rains, the river at Salem rose nearly 10 feet over the past five days, a volume that diluted the wastewater.
“The City of Salem extends its gratitude to the West Salem and Keizer communities for their cooperation during these emergency repairs and would also like to thank Emery and Sons Construction, along with their material suppliers for their support,” the city statement said.
Correction: This story was updated to reflect that wastewater was diverted to fields on the east side of Northwest Wallace Road, not the west side. Salem Reporter apologizes for the error.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
Fix on second sewer pipe progressing, city expects to restore West Salem service Sunday
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Les Zaitz is editor and CEO of Salem Reporter. He co-founded the news organization in 2018. He has been a journalist in Oregon for nearly 50 years in both daily and community newspapers and digital news services. He is nationally recognized for his commitment to local journalism. He also is editor and publisher of the Malheur Enterprise in Vale, Oregon.
