The City of Salem announced that an overflow of untreated sewage occurred into Willamette River on March 29, 2023, at approximately 9:30 am near Church and Union Street sewer overflow tide gate. The overflow was noticed during a routine inspection of the flow monitoring equipment at the tide gate location. The overflow resulted from the buildup of solids in the sewer line due to low flow in the line causing the tide gate to be pushed open just enough to cause a steady stream of sewage to flow out to the river for the past four days. The duration of the spill was verified by a sensor on the other side of the gate, but no alarm was triggered since the flow was approximately one gallon per minute. Approximately 6800 gallons of untreated sewage were spilled. Public Works Department crews were dispatched immediately and cleared the intrusion thus stopping the overflow at approximately 10:00 am.
If you see an overflowing manhole or wish to report a spill, please call the Public Works Department Dispatch Center at 503-588-6333.
Learn more about Sanitary Sewer Overflows (https://www.cityofsalem.net/community/household/water-utilities/wastewater) and the steps taken by the City of Salem to reduce these events.
