Water advisory issued for this prominent Tacoma waterway, health department says
There is a water advisory in place for Tacoma’s Thea Foss Waterway, the local health department announced Monday morning. Folks should avoid contact with the water for two days after it rains.
The advisory pertains to the waterway between East Dock Street and the 11th Street bridge for 48 hours post-rainfall, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. People should also refrain from recreational activities like paddleboarding and kayaking.
Whenever it rains, bacteria could be swept into the waterway and might lead to vomiting, nausea and diarrhea, the health department noted in the advisory.
Other ongoing surface-water advisories include toxic-algae cautions at these lakes: Ohop, Spanaway, Silver and Tanwax, according to the health department’s website. In addition, avoid eating fish — such as crab, bottom-feeding fish and shellfish — from the Commencement Bay inner waterways.
The health department issues advisories whenever there are risky conditions and lifts them once the water is again safe for residents and pets, per its website.
