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Report: Plant Spilled 1.5 Million Gallons of Sewage into Mojave River

Posted on: Tuesday, 13 June 2006, 15:00 CDT

By Gus Lambert, Desert Dispatch, Barstow, Calif.

Jun. 13--BARSTOW -- The city wastewater treatment plant spilled 1.5 million gallons of raw sewage into the Mojave River, according to a report filed with the Lahontan Regional Water Control Board.

Lahontan spokesperson Cindy Mitton said the May 20 spill extended more than a mile and was blamed on a Southern California Edison power failure.

Patrick Lenway, Barstow's sewage plant project coordinator, said that the facility has experienced various problems with the present electrical systems and said that the most recent contractor did not leave blueprints and other wiring information after electrical upgrading in 1997, a situation that results in extra long delays when troubleshooting problems, he said.

According to the recent Lahontan report the local facility had a 1,000 gallon spill on May 6.

That backup reportedly extended 20 feet into the riverbed and occurred because of a pump failure.

The effluent from that incident overflowed from the same manhole cover on Riverside Drive that was involved in the May 20 spill. According to the report, this spill was cleaned up by removal of the contaminated soil and treatment of the area with chlorine. But Mitton said she did not know what remedial actions were taken regarding the most recent and more extensive spill. Barstow spokesperson Jeanette Hayhurst said the sewage plant is operated by Aquarion, an independent contractor. "Comment about the incident from city officials is pending receipt and analysis of the operator's reports," she said.

Hayhurst also said that Barstow has contracted a engineering firm -- HDR Engineering -- to evaluate the entire facility and they recently recommended upgrading and other improvements to the existing facility.

HDR officials said the improvements will cost more than $30 million but address the nagging problems of old and obsolete equipment, as well as the ongoing electrical design deficiencies.

They also recommended that city officials consider installing a moder n membrane bioreactor -- a system manufactured by GE that uses carbon and ionic filters in a reverse osmosis system -- that purifies the treated water so it can be used for secondary purposes such as car washes and other non-potable uses.

This part of the plan addresses the high nitrate contamination that is the subject of a lawsuit filed by the Soapmine Road area residents.

The suit challenges a proposed new housing development there for environmental reasons, noting that the existing high nitrate levels will be increased with additional septic systems.

Resident Chuck Monds said, "Several private wells have been tested in the area and the nitrate level results vary in relation to their proximity to the field that Barstow previously watered with sewage plant wastewater."

Monds also said his water results were 3.8 parts of nitrate per million gallons which is below the federal recommended amount of 5.8 ppm.

But one resident's result was 29 ppm, according to Monds.

And according to Mitton, that result is consistent with Lahontan test well results in the immediate area of the field used by the wastewater treatment plant.

Although lab testing is not considered valid by the water board, Mitton said that Barstow has been ordered to conduct more extensive water well testing in the area.

High nitrates in water can reduce the blood's capability to carry oxygen in some infants resulting in cyanosis, a condition in which the skin turns blue. It can be fatal if not treated.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Desert Dispatch, Barstow, Calif.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Desert Dispatch (Barstow, Calif.)

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