Crews on Wednesday night repaired a sewage leak on the northeast side of Mill Pond Park in the Forest Heights neighborhood of NW Portland. Portions of Cedar Mill Creek in Washington County also are affected.
Environmental Services advises people to avoid contact with the water in Mill Pond as well as the immediate downstream areas of Cedar Mill Creek for 48 hours due to increased bacteria levels in the water. The advisory includes Jordan Woods Natural Area, which is about a mile downstream from the source of the release.
While the pond is easily accessible, the affected portions of the creek are surrounded by steep embankments, and not readily reached. Warning signs are in place around Mill Pond Park.
Crews estimate about 48,000 gallons of sewage leaked from a break in a maintenance hole, seeping into the pond, which flows into the creek. Crews responded to the leak about 2 p.m. yesterday and stopped the release around 10 p.m.
Emergency repairs continue, with crews installing a bypass system, which will remain in place while longterm repairs are made.
About Environmental Services
Environmental Services - the City of Portland’s sewer and stormwater utility - protects public health and the environment by collecting and recovering resources from the city’s wastewater, managing stormwater, and restoring and protecting Portland’s rivers, streams, and watersheds.