Residents of East Bremerton, Washington, are being asked to exercise caution after a sewer leak caused about 50,000 gallons of raw, untreated sewage to run into the Port Washington Narrows waterway on May 6.
The Kitsap Health District has told community members not to touch the water or hunt for shellfish along the banks of the tidal strait. According to the Central Kitsap Reporter, authorities expect the sewer problems to be fixed by May 11. Until then, health district staff are posting warning signs in the areas surrounding the spill.
A clogged sewer line caused the sewage back up to expel from a manhole during lowtide, according to the Kipsap Sun.
This is the second time in as many months Bremerton has been hit with a sewer spill. On April 19, a health advisory was issued after pressure from a backed up sewer line cause 1,000 gallons of raw sewage to over flow through the toilet of a lakefront home and spill into the water, according to the Kitsap Sun.
The Bremerton Patriot reports that Bremerton will replace a large section of its crosstown sewer pipeline this summer.
