EVERETT, Wash. — A broken sewer main caused more than 800,000 gallons of untreated sewage and storm water to spill into Port Gardner Bay, according to Everett city utility workers.
The volume could fill at least 50 swimming pools.
The spill could spread fecal bacteria to area beaches at Howarth Park and Pigeon Creek according to city officials. The city of Everett installed signs at the parks advising no human contact with the water until testing is complete.
“We had about 865,000 gallons that spilled over the 11-hour period as we were scrambling a bypass system in place,” said Dave Davis of Everett Public Utilities.
Last summer, there were two major sewage spills of more than 40,000 gallons in the same water because of power outages along the sewage treatment lines. Signs urged no swimming and no contact with the water.
Jake Carlson of Everett told KIRO 7 he’s frustrated about seeing the same sewage problem in the same park beaches.
“With all the kids that you see come down here and play and especially with Mother's Day coming up, that's a big concern,” Carlson said. “It's going to be a nice day and kids will be down here."
City workers tell KIRO-7 every spill has been the result of different problems--but every time, they hope it's the last.
“We put a lot of effort in trying to bring the system up to speed so these types of events don't happen,” said Davis. “But they do happen."
KIRO
