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 a.m. today.

More than 1,000 gallons of a substance described as “raw sewage” 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:

Caller states that due to influent infiltration caused by rain, the system is overwhelmed, resulting in the release of over 1,000 gallons of raw sewage from a manhole. The release has not been stopped, but efforts are underway to contain as much as possible using a vacuum truck. There is potential for the release to impact the Lower Eel River.

This was the ninth hazardous materials incident recorded by the Office of Emergency Services in the Rio Dell area this year and the 15th sewage spill in the county overall.