Officials probing cause of sewer spill

Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2005 | 10:36 a.m.

Large rocks and other debris blocked a sewer line in Henderson over the weekend at a time when the city's dealing with illegal dumping in its waste treatment system.

Henderson officials don't know the cause behind blockage in a 21-inch line at Arroyo Grande Boulevard between American Pacific and Santiago drives.

Department of Utility Services crews conducting routine manhole inspections on Friday found sewage overflowing onto Arroyo Grande and into Pittman Wash, which leads to Las Vegas Wash and ultimately Lake Mead.

The crews used temporary piping and pumps to divert waste about 450 feet from one portion of the sewer line to the next, said Kathleen Richards, a spokeswoman for the Henderson Utility District. The line was cleared by Sunday and service to nearby homes was unaffacted, she said.

The workers pulled out rocks weighing 20 to 40 pounds out of the sewer line, Richards said.

"We may never know how they got in there," Richards said. "It could have been a break or it could have been intentional."

A month ago a broken sewer line dumped an unknown quantity of untreated waste into Pittman Wash. That line runs along the northern wall of the Pittman Wash, east of Valle Verde Drive between Windmill Parkway and Candle Bright Drive.

Richards said there is a chance that break in the line a month ago brought in rocks and other debris that became stuck farther down the line.

During the last six months, the city has caught six people dumping debris and waste into manholes that lead into the sewer lines, Richards said. And there are likely others doing dumping that haven't been caught, she said.

Some contractors have used sewer lines to dump sewage from septic tanks and construction debris, Richards said. There have been cases when everything from a hot water heater to construction cones have been found, she said.

"You would never think some of this stuff would fit in the sewer system, but I guess some would rather put in in there than haul it to the dump site," Richards said.

Illegal dumping is simply a sign that the city is growing, and people look for cheap alternatives for disposing of debris simply by opening manholes, she said. The city locks manholes in secluded areas where there is little public traffic, she said.

Throwing in debris can lead to blockages and sewage overflowing the manholes, she said. It could also lead to sewage backing up into homes, she said.

When someone is caught dumping debris into the sewer line, the city bills them to recoup expenses for the cleanup, Richards said. Those that don't pay face a lawsuit, she said.

The cost for dealing with the Arroyo Grande blockage hasn't been determined, Richards said. Outside contractors were hired to provide generators and pumps, she said.

City officials don't know how much waste water was released into Pittman Wash. Residents were asked to stay out of the wash over the weekend until crews used a chlorine powder to disinfect the area, Richards said.

Tests have been taken to determine if there is any remaining bacteria, but the results aren't back yet. The waste dissipates as it moves downstream, she said.

Last week Henderson approved a $51,147 payment to H2O Environmental for cleaning up a storm drain and removing contaminated soil from an open channel adjacent to Boulder Highway near Desert Canyon.

In May a worker for Independent Landscaping accidentally spilled about 100 gallons of diesel fuel that went through a storm drain inlet and flowed more than a half-mile, said Curt Chandler, the land development manager in the Public Works Department.

The company reimbursed the city $2,840 for the work Henderson crews did in responding to the spill, Chandler said. But when the company learned it's insurance didn't cover environmental hazards, the landscaping firm couldn't afford to pay for the cleanup, he said.

Henderson hired specialists to remove the diesel fuel from the storm drain and remove and dispose of contaminated dirt from the channel, he said.