Problems at Vancouver’s Westside Wastewater Treatment facility resulted in the spillage of 600,000 gallons of untreated sewage into the Columbia River in the fall of 2017. Two spills occurred within four weeks. (Photo contributed by city of Vancouver)
The Washington Department of Ecology has fined the city of Vancouver $60,000 for spilling nearly 600,000 gallons of raw sewage into the Columbia River. The fine announced Friday comes after a 15-month investigation into spills on Sept. 30, 2017 and Oct. 25, 2017.
The Sept. 30 spill released nearly an Olympic-sized pool’s worth of sewage from the Westside Wastewater Treatment Facility. City staff characterized the spill as a rare occurrence, noting a similar event had not taken place for at least 26 years.
“Unacceptable training, maintenance and operations led to preventable discharges of raw sewage,” said Heather Bartlett, who manages Ecology’s Water Quality Program, in a press release. “That put bacteria and other pathogens that can cause diseases into the river, along with solids and trash that treatment normally removes. The river’s powerful flow may dilute the discharge, but it also spreads the pollution further.”
This includes determining exactly what happened. The city found the first spill — which released about 400,000 gallons of untreated sewage and 110,000 gallons of partially treated effluent — was caused by a series of rapid power failures that caused two generators to fail, and eventually led to the third backup generator failing. The backup generator is not equipped to handle the power requirements of the facility alone, so it shut down immediately.
At some point before Sept. 30, Clark Public Utilities replaced several cross arms used to keep power lines separate with narrower pieces near the plant. When dozens of birds congregated that Saturday, as they are wont to do, Dan Swensen, the city’s engineering and construction services manager, said something must have scared them and the flock took off in all directions. Their sudden departure caused the lines to swing and hit each other three times, this causing the circuit breaker to turn off and try to re-engage three times, leading to the extended power failure.
The spill occurred on a Saturday, but the public was not notified until the following Wednesday. The notification came with warnings to avoid the water, but by the time news of the spill broke, much of the health risk had passed.
The smaller October spill of about 80,000 gallons was due to operator error. The spill occurred during a routine calibration of water level sensors in the holding tank, which allowed untreated sewage to escape.
Investigation findings
The Department of Ecology found two issues related to the first spill.
Vancouver had last exercised its three generators two months before the incident.
The manufacturer recommends exercising the generators weekly.
In addition to failing to exercise the equipment, the department found the senior operator on duty at the time of the incident was not certified at the appropriate level.
These findings contributed to the fine. The city was also fined for violating its discharge permits and allowing untreated sewage into the river and having an inadequate operation and maintenance program.
Minutes after the fine and the department’s findings were announced, the city sent out a press release stating it recently concluded a series of improvements to the Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant, including a new $2.2 million emergency pumping system. The city was notified about the fine on Thursday.
“We take great pride in our long-standing record of exceptional environmental and regulatory compliance that we have worked hard to achieve over the years,” said Brian Carlson, director of Vancouver Public Works, in a press release.
“The discharges were unacceptable to us and to the community. We did not hesitate to quickly take corrective actions, and on our own, increased investment in our facilities and staff training,” Carlson said. “Our commitment to protecting the environment and community is ongoing and reflects our strong values, which are at the forefront of all our operations.”
The city is reviewing the department’s notice and determining its next step.
Vancouver has 30 days to pay the fine or file a notice of appeal to the Pollution Control Hearings Board.
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