Rain forces raw sewage into river

Officials in Garland, Box Elder County, are both breathing a sigh of relief and warning people to stay away from the Malad River after discharging tons of raw sewage over the weekend in response to overflowing sewers.

The problem began Thursday with what Scott Belnap, the city's manager over water and sewer systems, described as "a two-hour cloudburst," followed by more heavy rain.

But the problem escalated quickly when Belnap responded to a complaint from one resident who said she had sewage coming up in her basement.

"I looked to see if it was an isolated situation," Belnap said, "so I started pulling up manholes, and they were all full."

With the danger of the sewage damaging more homes, and with the sewage treatment plant in nearby Tremonton overloaded, the city turned to the Malad River as a solution.

"The river is already pretty well polluted," Belnap said.

It also isn't used for drinking or irrigation water.

So, Belnap said, the city received permission from the state and routed the deluge into a 36-inch pipe that spewed into the river from Thursday until Saturday.

Randy Wilde, a Bear River Health Department employee involved with the incident, said while the department prefers for all sewage to be treated before releasing it to nature, it was pleased the city's solution kept the sewage underground until it reached the river.

Luckily, the fix averted any further property damage from sewage, and, Belnap said, it was diluted enough with ground water that the river isn't giving off offensive smells. Specialists from the Bear River Health Department and Utah Division of Water Quality will monitor the water, and a health advisory will be in effect until E. coli levels return to a safe range. Belnap said testing has shown the sewage will be adequately diluted by the time the Malad drains into Bear River.

---

E-mail: dhinckley@desnews.com