Continuing heavy rains have pushed sewage into Portland and Salem waterways.
Portland’s Big Pipe system reached capacity early Wednesday morning, causing sewage and stormwater to overflow into the Willamette River.
The city of Salem says its sewer system has also overflowed into the Willamette and multiple creeks.
The Portland Bureau of Environmental Services said in a written statement that the public should avoid entering the Willamette River downstream of Sellwood Park for at least 48 hours after the overflow stops. The overflow had not stopped as of 3 p.m. Wednesday.
The bureau also responded to a sewage overflow in Southwest Portland.
The bureau estimates about 3,000 gallons of sewage and stormwater overflowed onto Southwest Sunset Boulevard near Southwest Richardson Street. From about 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., overflow poured down the street into an inlet that feeds into an unnamed creek connected to Fanno Creek.
The bureau said the public should avoid Fanno Creek — downstream of Southwest Dosch Road and Southwest Beaverton Hillsdale Highway — for at least 48 hours.
In Salem, sewage overflowed from at least 8 sewage manholes Wednesday afternoons. In a written statement, officials said this happens when the system gets inundated with stormwater. These overflows impacted several creeks, including Pringle, Claggett, and Fork of the Little Pudding.
Diluted raw sewage also flowed into the Willamette River around 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Officials had not determined how much sewage entered the river and creeks as of 6 p.m. Wednesday.
