News Release
| Release Number: | 04-150 |
| Dated: | 8/13/2004 |
| Contact: | Matt Rabe, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore. – Less than 72 gallons of raw sewage spilled into the Columbia River at The Dalles Dam Thursday. County health officials do not appear concerned about the small volume discharged.
The incident occurred after the main water supply line that services the powerhouse ruptured at the facility. The rupture, which occurred Wednesday, somehow affected a 10,000 gallon sewage tank within the powerhouse.
At around 1 p.m. Thursday, that tank began overflowing, and it took crews about three hours to contain the flow. It is not known exactly how much sewage escaped the tank, but calculations made by crews at the scene indicate the volume of water leaving the tank to be less than 72 gallons. A contractor will empty the tank Friday.
Maintenance crews believe the discharge pipe that leads from the tank to the sewage treatment facility in The Dalles has become partially blocked, causing the tank to overflow.
Officials with the Wasco-Sherman Public Health Department were notified Thursday afternoon. They issued a public health advisory late Thursday stating “it is unlikely that this event poses any risk to human health.”
On Thursday, the Columbia River was flowing at an average rate of nearly 1 million gallons of water every second past the dam.
The Corps will continue to work with county health officials and state environmental quality officials as the repair work continues.