West Salem’s creeks and streams are at normal bacteria levels less than a week after two pipelines failed, forcing crews to divert raw sewage into waterways and fields to prevent it from flooding Salem streets and homes.
The city of Salem has been monitoring the pipes and testing water since crews completed repairs and restored sewer service late Saturday evening, Dec. 28.
City spokeswoman Kathy Ursprung said Thursday that it’s difficult to determine how much sewage crews were forced to let spill because it was “highly diluted by rainwater and high river flows,” but the city estimates about 19.3 million gallons wastewater overflowed. That’s about 29 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The high water levels also makes it challenging to gauge whether people in West Salem followed the city’s request to limit water use, Ursprung said.
Crews this week have been visually inspecting manhole locations and testing samples from Glen Creek, River Bend Slough and the Willamette River, according to city spokesman Trevor Smith.
He said the state Department of Environmental Quality has asked the city to monitor areas where wastewater was spilled, find and remove large debris such as plastics and work with property owners to address concerns about farmland where sewage spilled.
Ursprung said freshwater where a sample shows over 406 E. coli organisms per 100 milliliters is considered unsafe for human contact. All tests were below that standard as of Wednesday, meaning the waters were not considered to be impacted by bacteria.
“Every open water body will have some levels of bacteria,” she said in an email.
Ursprung said Thursday that she could not immediately provide information about the city’s cost of repairs, testing and management since the pipes failed.
The main pipeline transporting wastewater from West Salem to the city’s Willow Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant in Keizer broke on Thursday, Dec. 26.
That put extra strain on a secondary line which failed on Friday, prompting the city to ask people in West Salem to avoid disposing of wastewater.
The episode disrupted sewer service to about 34,000 people.
Crews worked through the night on Friday to repair one 18-inch line before turning to the 24-inch pipe on Saturday. The pipes failed not far from the treatment facility, adjacent to a Keizer subdivision.
As crews made repairs, they diverted wastewater out of the system to fields on the east side of Northwest Wallace Road. They posted signs warning people to avoid contact with the contaminated water.
Ursprung said Thursday that people no longer need to avoid the waterways.
The sewage flowed into some parts of Wallace Marine Park, where homeless encampments have been common in recent years.
Gretchen Bennett, Salem’s homelessness liaison, said the city provided outreach in person, including visitings tents to provide information and have conversations.
Bennett said local service providers also shared information, such as posting a sign at the ARCHES Day Center.
“People who experience homelessness there that I spoke to also were kind to share amongst their informal networks,” she said in an email.
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:
City restores full sewer service to West Salem after two days of restrictions
Fix on second sewer pipe progressing, city expects to restore West Salem service Sunday
All-night work repairs one sewer pipe as city sets to restore West Salem service
City plans to fix West Salem sewer main early Saturday as raw sewage spills into Willamette River
Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
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Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered criminal justice and housing for Salem Reporter since September 2021. As an Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has traversed the state. He has done reporting for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.
