April 10, 2018 – At approximately 6:30 am on April 7, 2018, a public sanitary sewer main at Marten Court in Lake Wildwood backed up due to a grease blockage, causing 16,750 gallons of untreated sewage to exit the manhole cover and enter a nearby drainage ditch that leads to Wildwood Creek and eventually, Lake Wildwood.
There is approximately 0.8 miles of distance from the incident location to Lake Wildwood. Nevada County Public Works staff removed containable liquids and public access areas have been posted.
Most of the release was not containable and water sampling efforts above and below stream and at the point of entry into Lake Wildwood have been taken to monitor bacteria levels from this release.
Further action by this Department includes future bacterial sampling oversight and notifications as needed. At this time, no threat to public health or to the environment has been identified however, general caution should be observed in all lakes and streams as naturally occurring bacteria can be high after rain events.
Residents are reminded to never pour grease down the drain. Disposal options include freezing small amounts of fats, oil and grease or mixing cooking oils with absorbent material such as cat litter and placing in a container with a tight fitting lid for disposal with your solid waste.