Sewage Incident in Rio Dell

A new hazardous materials incident involving sewage has been reported to the California Office of Emergency Services.

According to a report published by the office, the incident took place at or near a residence in Rio Dell at around 3:30 p.m. today.

More than 1,000 gallons of a substance described as “sewage inflow and infiltration” were released to the environment, according to the person who called in the report.

Here’s the description of the incident that was recorded by the Office of Emergency Services:

Per the reporting party, the current rain storm is causing the system to overflow at a manhole at Painter Street. The overflow began around 1530 hours, and it is ongoing. Sandbags have been deployed to control the overflow. The City of Rio Dell Waste Water Treatment is managing the response and cleanup. The overflow has the potential to impact the Eel River.

This was the fifth hazardous materials incident recorded by the Office of Emergency Services in the Rio Dell area this year and the ninth sewage spill in the county overall.