Partially treated sewage 'likely' discharged into Willamette River
February 14 2021
A power outage at Tri-City Water Resource Recovery Facility in Oregon City led to the spill, officials say.
Clackamas County officials announced Sunday, Feb. 14, that widespread power outages crippling the region have likely led to "partially treated" wastewater spilling into the Willamette River.
The Tri-City Water Resource Recovery Facility in Oregon City has been operating on standby generator power during the storm. But with the prolonged outage, the facility is likely now discharging water that is out of compliance with the Clean Water Act, officials said Feb. 14.
People are urged to avoid contact with the water in the Willamette River downstream of the facility — including through Portland — for the next few days.