Substantial Sewage Release Near Nevada's Lake Mead Attributed to Partially Shut Vent
A recent incident involving the overflow of 863,000 gallons of wastewater at a sewage treatment plant near Lake Mead in Nevada was caused by a partially open valve. This was revealed after maintenance work was finished at the Whitney Lift Station on June 1, according to a report by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The leak started after the CCWRD workers completed their tasks. However, they were unaware of the spill as it occurred beyond a fence at the pumping facility, where a valve was not fully closed, leading to the wastewater escaping through a manhole.
The spill lasted for two days, with a total of 863,625 gallons of sewage being released. Some of this water entered Duck Creek, a tributary that flows into Lake Mead. The cleanup process began on Saturday, and continued into the subsequent weeks.
The CCWRD claims that the spill had "no impact to public health or the environment", as there were no signs of higher bacterial levels in water samples from the creek, according to KLAS. The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection also launched an investigation into the incident, while both the federal EPA and the Southern Nevada Health District were notified.
Efforts to recover the overflown water were made by workers over the weekend using specialized equipment like trucks with vacuums, backhoes, and loaders. It is estimated that 281,500 gallons of the wastewater were recovered in the cleanup efforts.
However, more than 57,000 gallons of the wastewater found its way into Duck Creek, though it's unclear how much made it to Lake Mead - a main water source for Las Vegas. The CCWRD condemns these overflows, stating that "they are never acceptable to the District who remains committed to ensuring a safe and reliable wastewater collection and treatment system for unincorporated Clark County".
The Whitney Lift Station, which is one of the 24 in Clark County managed by the CCWRD, previously experienced a failure in 2020 - believed to have been caused by a corroded pipe, resulting in a 500,000-gallon sewage spill. The financial repercussions of this incident, such as possible fines from Nevada's Department of Environmental Protection, have not been revealed.
In 2021, a report from the CCWRD stated that the Whitney Lift Station faces a significant risk of sanitary sewer overflows due to equipment failures and blockages in lines. The station is slated for renovations.
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