Napa Sanitation District Responds to Sewage Spill in Browns Valley

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2010

(Napa CA) The Napa Sanitation District responded quickly today to a sewage spill in Browns Valley that was reported at 9:02 AM. Crews responded to a report of sewage seeping from a manhole on Dezerai Court, arriving with a vacuum truck by 9:25 AM. By 9:45 AM the blockage had been cleared and crews began the clean up process.

The 45-minute spill released approximately 10,000 gallons of untreated sewage, which made its way through a storm drain into Browns Valley Creek. District staff channeled the creek and began pumping water into the vacuum truck to prevent the spill from spreading downstream. Water quality testing showed that contamination decreased to very low levels at 100 feet downstream from the spill source, and further downstream sampling revealed no contamination.

The District follows strict guidelines for sanitary sewer overflows that are approved by a battery of regulatory agencies. “District crews are trained to respond quickly to emergencies like this, and work hard to minimize the impact of sewer overflows,” stated Todd Herrick, Collection System Manager for the District. An employee from the Regional Water Quality Control Board visited the spill site and was satisfied with the District’s response.

A private contractor was working on a non-District project in the area and as a result of the contractor’s work, construction debris entered the sewer and was not removed. This caused a blockage that resulted in the spill. The contractor has been informed of the incident and the construction practices will be modified to insure that it doesn’t happen again.

District crews remained on site into the evening, pumping contaminated water from the creek, inspecting the area and clearing debris from the sewer system. Creek side residents were contacted to insure they were aware of the spill and potential creek contamination. Crews will continue testing downstream from the spill site until water quality returns to pre-spill levels.

Napa Sanitation District (NSD) provides wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal services to the residents and businesses in the City of Napa, Silverado, the Napa County Airport and several adjacent unincorporated areas. NSD also provides recycled water service to portions of its service area. Covering 20 square miles, NSD has been serving the public since it was organized under the California Health and Safety Code in November 1945. For further information about the District, see www.NapaSanitationDistrict.com.

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