On Aug. 14, the city of Sedona approved an updated operations plan by contractor Kinney Construction Services that includes a detailed safety plan with assurances a sewer spill in Oak Creek won’t occur again, marking the return to construction on the SR179 Sewer Main Replacement Project.
Highlights of the updated Operations Plan include:
· Enhanced monitoring of the pumping system, including a 24/7 watch of the system by the contractor and a satellite call box that will alert both the contractor and the city if the water level in the manhole reaches a specific level.
· A redesign of the floats that trigger the pumps to turn on so that they are more secure.
· A triple check of the site at the end of the work day by the superintendent, the foreman and the independent, third-party inspector to ensure items are secure and sewer conveyance is clear.
Sometime between 5 and 7:30 p.m. the night of Aug. 4, a sewage spill of approximately 15,000 to 20,000 gallons of liquid effluent occurred along State Route 179 associated with the SR179 Sewer Main Replacement Project.
The contractor re-mobilized beginning Monday, Aug. 17. The contractor now expects the project will be completed by early October due to the stop work order issued after the spill and additional safety provisions included in the Operations Plan.
With E. coli levels consistently beneath the 235 CFU/100 mL limit every day for over a week, the city is now testing on Wednesdays to continue to better understand normal fluctuations of E. coli in the creek. A report of E. coli counts will be shared with the community the following day.
The city remains engaged with Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, county health departments and community partners like the Oak Creek Watershed Council to solicit input on performing any other testing or analysis. Also, the city will kick off a stakeholders meeting with representatives from these organizations and residents in early September to review all components of the incident and amend protocols that need to be updated.
Visit sr179sewermainreplacement.com for project information, including an FAQ on this incident. To contact a project team member with questions regarding this event, email news@sr179sewermainreplacement. com or call the Project Hotline at 852-4164.
