Water in creeks where sewage spilled in Pierce County is now safe, health department says
Sewage spill advisories for Hylebos Creek in Fife and Leach Creek in Fircrest were lifted Friday, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department said. Water samples indicate that there are no longer public health concerns.
The advisories were put in place Wednesday after heavy rains in Pierce County overwhelmed sewer capacities, leading to combined sewer overflows that spilled about 112,000 gallons of sewage into Leach Creek and 150,000 to 200,000 gallons of sewage into Hylebos Creek.
Water samples were taken the same day, and the results came back Friday indicating that the water is now safe.
Cindy Callahan, an environmental health specialist supervisor with TPCHD, said the sewage was mixed with storm water when it discharged. Then the sewage traveled over ground to the surface water, where it mixed and became further diluted.
“We always say dilution is not the solution, obviously, when it comes to sewage,” Callahan said. “In this case obviously that’s what occurred.”
TPCHD samples water in several places, focusing on areas near public access to the water, Callahan said. In freshwater, the health department samples for traces of E. coli.
If the sample shows the bacteria levels are below 320 MPN per 100 milliliters, then the water is considered safe. MPN, which stands for most probable number, is a statistical method to estimate the concentration of microorganisms in a sample.
This story was originally published March 4, 2022 at 4:05 PM.
