Salem, Ore. — The City of Salem Public Works Department has made considerable progress in restoring sewer service to the West Salem community.
With the successful completion of the 18-inch sewer main Saturday morning, limited service has been restored to the West Salem neighborhood. Public Work staff expects to complete the second 24-inch sewer main late Saturday evening. This should restore normal sewer service to the residents of West Salem by Sunday morning, December 29, 2024.
The City of Salem’s Public Works team would like to thank the West Salem community for their reduced water usage over the last two days and ask that they continue to use as little water as possible for another few hours.
By limiting water usage, we can better control potential untreated wastewater outflows into sensitive areas surrounding Glen Creek, River Bend Slough, and a portion of the northern undeveloped wooded area of Wallace Marine Park. Signs are posted at these locations warning people to avoid contact with the water due to potentially high levels of bacteria. Water quality samples will continue to be taken until the results indicate that the issue has been cleared. The signs will be removed once the bacteria levels return to normal.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we worked to resolve this issue. Due to the late hour, a Marion-Polk Alert will be sent during the day, on Sunday, December 29th, 2024 with an update on this incident. Further updates will be available on our Facebook page and website at www.cityofsalem.net/SewerUpdate.
