Newport officials say they’re working as fast as they can but it may be a month before a leak that’s diverting treated wastewater into Yaquina Bay can be fixed.
Nearly 1,500 gallons of effluent wastewater a minute has been pouring into the bay since Dec. 28.
The pipe runs between the East Science Drive area near the Hatfield Marine Science Center across Yaquina Bay to Southeast Bay Boulevard. City officials say the water has been treated with chlorine, but still might be hazardous for human health. In the meantime, they’re asking the public to avoid fishing in the area.
The city has been working with a contractor to fix the pipe, and the City Council is scheduled to formally declare an emergency on Monday. Declaring an emergency will allow city staff to speed up the process of buying, or contracting, for what they need to fix the pipe quickly. The emergency will be in effect until Feb. 3.
According to city documents, the leak was caused by a weld done in 2022 that failed, causing pieces of the pipe to separate.
- KLCC News
When can we fish in the yaquina bay? How much longer till the pipe is fixed.