Public Works has cordoned off two areas along the greenway trail with tape where sewage mixed with storm runoff
VANCOUVER — The Salmon Creek Greenway Trail is open after a sewage spill early Sunday morning east of the pump station on Northwest 36th Avenue closed a portion of the trail for cleanup.
Although the trail is open, Clark County Public Works has cordoned off two areas along the greenway trail with tape where sewage mixed with storm runoff.
One area is on the south side of the trail about three-fourths of a mile east of Northwest 36th Avenue. The second is on the north side of the trail about a quarter mile east of Northwest 36th Avenue.
Trail users need to stay out of these two areas and be especially careful to keep young children and dogs out. Do not allow dogs to play in or drink water from these two areas. Dogs must be leashed at all times while on the Salmon Creek Greenway Trail.
Fliers will be posted along the two areas alerting trail users to the contaminated areas.
Daily water samples will be analyzed from the two areas. Warning tape and signs will be removed once Clark County Public Health determines it is safe to do so.
Sunday’s sewage spill was triggered by a utility power failure. The 36th Avenue pump station has a backup generator that automatically started, but the pumps failed to engage, which caused sewage to flow from manholes west of the pump station along the greenway trail. County officials are investigating why backup systems did not fully function.
The majority of cleanup was completed in about four hours Sunday morning. It’s difficult to know how much sewage was spilled because some mixed with storm runoff.
