Tag Archives: pollution

Sewage concerns close Blakely park’s beach

UPDATE: Most of the sewage was contained in a nearby wetland. The city and sewer plant operator plan to pump out the sewage on Monday. Click here for our latest story on the spill.

Public health officials are warning people to steer clear of Tani Creek and Blakely Harbor Park’s beach after sewage leaked into a wetland near the Fort Ward sewage treatment plant.

Here’s our report from yesterday.

The wetland, which sits next to a public trail, connects to Tani, which flows into Blakely.

The state Dept. of Ecology warned that “contact with fecal contaminated waters can result in gastroenteritis, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections and other illnesses. Children and the elderly may be more vulnerable to waterborne illnesses.”

The Kitsap Public Health District has taken water samples from Tani and Blakely to see how far the contamination spread from the wetland. Results were expected today, but it looks like we’ll have to wait until Thursday afternoon for confirmation the sewage spread beyond the wetland.

Sewer district board member Sarah Lee estimates between 3,000 and 5,000 gallons of partially-treated sewage leaked from a hole in a 40,000-gallon tank.

The cause of the hole is not yet known, but it doesn’t appear it was punctured or damaged by force.

The health district isn’t sure how the mess will be cleaned up – if at all. The sewer district pumped out some of the sewage from their grounds on Friday, shortly after the leak was discovered.

On Monday, the health district discovered the sewage had traveled out of the treatment plant property and into the wetland, which is down-slope of the plant.

It appeared much of the sewage was caught and partially contained by a “log jam” in the wetland, according to health district water specialist Stuart Whitford.

Water test results will guide next steps. Cleaning the mess could include pumping out portions of the wetland. If the testing shows relatively low levels of contamination, the health district and Ecology officials may take a hands-off approach.

I’m off for the next two days, so look for environmental reporter Chris Dunagan’s followup story on the testing results.

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Good news, bad news for Bainbridge beaches

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The good news is that a south island beach plagued with high levels of fecal bacteria recently received a clean bill of health from state regulators.

The bad news is that two other beaches had their status downgraded, marking the south and north-end stretches of shoreline as prohibited for shellfish harvesting.

The solution for the newly-clean two-mile beach was fairly simple: a handful of waterfront residents fixed their septic systems after health and city officials notified them of the problem.

Even though the downgraded beaches are also likely suffering from bad septics, local health officials are scrounging for enough money to investigate and inform residents of the necessary fixes.

Click here for my full story.

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Sewer spill much larger than initially thought

The Eagle Harbor sewer leak released much more raw sewage than initially thought, according to updated city estimates.

In a report released on Friday, the city estimated that a corroded pipe near the Winslow ferry terminal leaked between 287,000 to 493,000 gallons of untreated sewage last week. Initial estimates were 140,000 gallons.

City public works staff revised the number after concluding that the leak probably started two days earlier than when it was discovered on May 30.

The estimate revision came city staff reviewed the Winslow sewer plant’ daily flow records over the 15 days before, during and after the leak.

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City criticized for slow, incomplete response to sewer spill

City Council members on Monday questioned whether the city’s response to the Eagle Harbor sewer leak was too slow and not comprehensive enough to ensure the health and safety of people and the environment.

Councilwoman Kim Brackett, who visited the leak site near the Winslow ferry terminal shortly after it was identified on Saturday, was unimpressed with the city’s efforts to protect the marine ecosystem and clean the beach of solid waste.

“This is a very significant environmental issue for the health of Puget Sound,” she said during a council Public Works Committee meeting. “Was there an effort to capture (the waste) and pickup the tissue paper sitting on the beach? I was a little stunned to not see anybody there to clean it up.”

The corroded, 32-year-old pipe blamed for the leak, which spilled an estimated 140,000 gallons of sewage into the harbor, was repaired Tuesday morning. Public works crews had installed a temporary band on the pipe on Sunday, after about 70,000 gallons of solid and liquid waste flowed freely into the harbor. The band halted the flow of solids but not liquid effluent, allowing an additional 70,000 gallons of sewer water to escape.

Assistant Public Works Director Lance Newkirk said high tides delayed repair work until early Tuesday morning, when an extremely low tide was expected.

Responding to Brackett, Newkirk declined to assess the city’s response to the spill.

“I’m not prepared to comment on how well – or not well – we did,” he said.

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Sewer leak fixed early Tuesday morning

City public work crews stopped the three-day flow of raw sewage into Eagle Harbor early Tuesday morning.

Crews spent about 90 minutes installing a rubberized metal collar around a corroded section that began leaking on Saturday. The repair was completed during low tide at approximately 6:30 a.m. The pipe was tested and the sewer system was brought back to normal functioning by 7 a.m.

“We were fortunate,” said Lance Newkirk, assistant director of the city’s public works department. “We had a backup strategy with a three-hour repair cycle. But the (faster) strategy is the one that worked.”

Newkirk said additional cracking or other damage would have required crews to replace a section of the pipe. Crews had waited until Tuesday morning because a extreme low tide was predicted, and would have allowed time for the more complex fix.

The pipe, which runs under the beach about a quarter mile east of the Winslow ferry terminal, is estimated to have released 140,000 gallons of sewage. It carries most of the Winslow area’s sewage to the downtown treatment plant on Hawley Way.

Health officials issued a no-contact advisory for all of the harbor and the seven miles of shoreline between Yeomalt Point and Rockaway Beach. Residents are asked to not touch the water or low tide areas for 10 days.

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UPDATED: Corroded pipe leaking raw sewage into Eagle Harbor

Over 105,000 gallons of raw sewage has spilled into Eagle Harbor from a corroded pipe near the Winslow ferry terminal.

A total of 140,000 gallons is expected to flow into the harbor before work crews can fix the leak, said Lance Newkirk, assistant director of the city’s public works department.

Health officials issued a no-contact advisory for all of the harbor and the seven miles of shoreline between Yeomalt Point and Rockaway Beach on the island’s east side. Residents are asked to not touch the water or low tide areas for 10 days.

“We haven’t seen a big (pipe) break like this in a while,” said Kitsap County Health District water quality specialist Jim Zimny.

The pipe carries much of the Winslow area’s sewage to the treatment plant on Hawley Way.

High tides are expected to delay a full repair until Tuesday. The beach surrounding the immediate spill area has been cordoned off and a temporary metal band was installed over the pipe’s ruptured areas.

“It’s like a Band-Aid that’s preventing the solid content from going into the bay,” Newkirk said. “We’re now at a stable point and are just waiting for a favorable tide to make the permanent fix.”

The city is employing six pump trucks at various locations north and east of Winslow to draw out sewer water before it reaches the damaged area.

The pipe is the main line carrying sewage from the Winslow area west of Highway 305 and south of Murden Cove. About three-fifths of the Winslow sewer plant’s liquid effluent flows through the pipe, Newkirk said.

City officials are asking residents to curb their water and sewer usage until Tuesday afternoon.

“We want to reduce the flow, so any delay in water usage – from washing clothes to taking showers – will help,” Newkirk said.

Sewage was flowing freely from the rusty pipe into a murky trench on Monday morning. Toilet paper and other solids were scattered nearby.

“It was a lot more pungent on Saturday,” said John Anderson, whose Irene Place home sits directly in front of the ruptured pipe. “And it was bubbling pretty dramatically through the tide.”

Corrosion on the 32-year-old pipe’s is blamed for the leak.

“We didn’t see any external factors,” Newkirk said. “It really was the pipe’s age.”

The leak was reported to the city at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Tides delayed the city’s response until 5 a.m. on Sunday. Unexpected additional corroded areas also complicated the repair efforts.

Health officials are concerned that warm weather and clear skies may draw many people to the contaminated beaches and water.

“The timings bad,” Zimny said. “If this was in winter, less people would be attracted to the beach.”

Sunlight may help “disinfect” the contaminated water by killing bacteria in a matter of hours. However, the continued sewer flow means surrounding waters will remain a health risk, Zimny said.

While ruptures like the one in Eagle Harbor are rare, larger amounts of sewage have poured into Kitsap waters in recent years. Power outages during winter storms in 2007 caused millions of gallons of effluent to seep from several sewer treatment plants, Zimny said.

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State will not penalize airline for dumping fuel on BI, Puget Sound

The state Department of Ecology announced today that it will not issue fines or other penalties against Asiana Airlines, the company that jettisoned fuel over Bainbridge Island and Puget Sound before making an emergency landing on Apr. 29.

“Our top concern is ensuring human health and safety in Washington state,” DOE spills program manager Dale Jensen said in a statement. “The pilot on Flight 271 had to take quick action to protect the lives of 179 people on board. That included dumping fuel to lighten the plane for an emergency landing. We’re thankful the pilot could make a safe return to the ground.”

Several Winslow and south Bainbridge residents reported smelling the fuel shortly after the Korea-bound plane released the fuel. The fuel was jettisoned after the the pilot noticed engine trouble while leaving Sea-Tac airport.

Much of the fuel evaporated before reaching ground. Sheens found on Puget Sound were too thin for a cleanup, DOE staff said.

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Bainbridge beaches spared diesel contamination

The diesel spill late Tuesday night off Yeomalt Point did not reach the shore, according to the state Department of Ecology.

Coast Guard, King County and DOE crews contained much of the diesel shortly after a tug spilled it.

“It’s a minor spill,” said a DOE spokesman in Chris Dunagan’s story. “Conditions were such that the tug crew was able to report it and responders were able to launch a speedy response. Diesel fuel is considered moderately toxic, and any release of oil is considered harmful to the environment.”

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Tons of creosote logs slated for removal on BI

The state Department of Natural resources will begin an ambitious plan to remove a large number of creosote logs and pilings from Bainbridge beaches this week.

DNR plans to pull out 111 creosote-covered pilings at the Strawberry Plant property on Eagle Harbor, possibly on late Thursday or Friday. An additional 60 pilings are planned for removal on private tidelands in other parts of Eagle Harbor and Port Madison.

Other locations slated for creosote log removal in the coming weeks include: Hawley Cove (12.8 tons), Wing Point (17.6 tons), Tolo Lagoon (10 tons), Battle Point (18.2 tons), Murden Cove (46.8 tons) and Fay Bainbridge State Park (7.4 tons).

Here’s what DNR has to say about creosote-treated wood:

There are hundreds of thousands of derelict creosote pilings throughout Puget Sound, many of which have broken off and distributed tons of debris onto beaches. Creosote is a toxic chemical and a known carcinogen. Recent studies have shown that chemicals in treated wood materials can be harmful, and even lethal to many marine species. Herring eggs exposed to creosote have a high mortality rate, and English sole develop liver lesions when exposed to the chemicals. Impacts on salmon health also have been observed in recent studies. These and other negatively affected species are an important part of the food chain for salmon, orca whales, and birds such as the western grebe. The health of Puget Sound is also intimately connected with the health of our economy.

The above photo was taken during a DNR-led removal of creosote logs at Fay Bainbridge park last March.

Sun environmental reporter Chris Dunagan will have an expanded story about the removal project on Bainbridge and other parts of Kitsap County soon.

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South Bainbridge beaches riddled with fecal pollution, study shows

Two dozen sites on Bainbridge beaches showed unhealthy levels of fecal waste, according to a Kitsap County Health District water quality report released this week.

With the city’s assistance, the health district collected over 580 water samples from eight miles of shoreline along south Eagle Harbor, Point White, Crystal Springs and Fletcher Bay between February and June. About 13 percent of all samples showed fecal bacteria levels over the district’s permissible limit. Some test sites, including four between Point White and Fletcher Bay, showed contamination levels of 15 times the permissible limit for fecal coliform bacteria, which is associated with human and animal waste.

The shoreline between Crystal Springs and Fletcher Bay had the highest concentration of contaminated areas. More than 40 percent of the study’s highly contaminated samples came from this stretch of southwest Bainbridge.

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Winslow Way property tops state hazardous sites list

The former Unocal gas station property on Winslow Way was one of four Kitsap County properties added to the state’s Hazardous Sites List this week.

Sitting at Winslow Way’s intersection with the highway, the 1-acre property has for several years been hemmed by a fence decorated with murals and banners.

The property hosted a gas station from 1957 until 1989. It is currently joint-owned by the city of Bainbridge Island and Kitsap Transit. Three underground storage tanks — with one or more leaking — were removed in 1991.

The site could impact the stream in Winslow Ravine, which borders the property to the west.

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Sewer contamination may cost city millions to fix

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The city’s got a tough choice on its hands.

By order of the state, the city must invest millions of dollars to redirect a Winslow sewer outfall away from Wing Point’s shellfish beds or pay tens of thousands a year in compensation.

City engineers are scrambling. The City Council will soon be debating. But either way, city coffers will be draining.

See my story below.

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