Copyright The Oregonian
If you’re in Cannon Beach this week, you might want to stay away from its chief attraction: the ocean. That’s because about 80,000 gallons of sewage and stormwater have flowed into the Pacific Ocean at the beach. The Oregon Health Authority on Tuesday issued an alert, saying the overflow could raise the risk of exposure to fecal bacteria. The agency said its beach-monitoring staff doesn’t yet have test results confirming the presence of bacteria in the Gower Creek outfall, where the creek spills into Cannon Beach, but is issuing the alert out of caution. The overflow, which happened on Monday, is not an isolated incident for one of Oregon’s most popular beaches. State monitoring has led to regular warnings of contamination at two main spots on the small city’s oceanfront, near Haystack Rock and at the south end of Cannon Beach. In March, environmental groups filed a lawsuit alleging that the city of Cannon Beach is regularly discharging untreated human waste into its waterways and onto the beach, putting residents and visitors at risk from dangerously high levels of fecal bacteria. The Northwest Environmental Defense Center, the nonprofit that filed the lawsuit, is seeking an order to compel the city to prevent such discharges and come into full compliance with the federal Clean Water Act. The lawsuit is proceeding in U.S. District Court and is currently in the discovery stage. Cannon Beach officials said the latest overflow was caused by high levels of rainfall and a failed sensor in a manhole near the pump station, which led to a toilet paper blockage. City crews worked to remove the contaminants and the city is awaiting test results, said the city’s public works director Karen La Bonte. In mid-September, the city installed approximately 20 sensors in various sanitary sewer pipes as part of its effort to measure flow conditions and identify potential sources of contamination in stormwater discharges to the beach, La Bonte said. Visitors should avoid wading in pools of water on the beach and stay clear of water runoff flowing into the ocean, the agency said. Unsafe levels of fecal bacteria can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, skin rashes and upper respiratory infections. Children and the elderly are especially at risk.
