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The city of Fallon negotiated an agreement with the state following a formal enforcement action issued in August regarding a sewage spill in June.
The Nevada Department of Environmental Protection issued the finding of an alleged violation and order as a result of the release of about 300,000 gallons of raw sewage into the New River Drain June 19-20. The city appealed the finding and order, and city representatives met with NDEP in late September to discuss the negotiated agreement.
"The city has agreed to build a new lift station to be completed sometime next summer. It has also agreed to install a redundant alarm system to alert operators when a power outage occurs," stated Dante Pistone, public information officer with NDEP. "We believe these two actions will substantially address the sources of the problems that led to the spill."
Raw sewage was discovered in the New River Drain, an irrigation drainage canal, near Front Street. City Engineer Larry White stated in a letter to NDEP's Bureau of Water Pollution Control that he was notified of the spill by the state at 4 p.m. June 19. Believing the spill to be localized, White wrote he instructed city crews to check the sewer system the following morning.
The problem was found to originate from a sewer pump station at Fifth Street and Whitaker Lane. The alarm system failed to notify the police department when the pump station was filled above the high-water level, according to White's June 22 letter to NDEP. Once pumps were manually started, the spill stopped within 10 minutes. Mayor Ken Tedford Jr. questioned why the Churchill County code enforcement officer notified the state about the spill first instead of alerting the city to the spill.
In early September, Tedford said a new backup alarm system on the pump station was already installed and the drain plugged. The city has $400,000 and has been promised another $500,000 from congressional representatives to replace the aging pump station. The estimate on building a new pump station, either on Sheckler Road or Whitaker Lane, is about $1.5 million, Tedford said in September.
In return for agreeing to build a new pump station and replacing the alarm system, the state lifted two elements from the order - one stating the city failed to maintain the pump station in good working order and one stating the city failed to respond in a timely manner. The remaining issue of violating a Nevada Revised Statute by discharging sewage into the New River Drain will stand.
"The case may revert back to the penalty panel for further action, but panel members are often reluctant to fine local governments, because the fines ultimately end up being paid by the taxpayers, which would not be our intent," stated Pistone. "Our goal is always to address the problem and prevent it from happening again. We believe this approach has worked in this case."
The Nevada Department of Environmental Protection issued the finding of an alleged violation and order as a result of the release of about 300,000 gallons of raw sewage into the New River Drain June 19-20. The city appealed the finding and order, and city representatives met with NDEP in late September to discuss the negotiated agreement.
"The city has agreed to build a new lift station to be completed sometime next summer. It has also agreed to install a redundant alarm system to alert operators when a power outage occurs," stated Dante Pistone, public information officer with NDEP. "We believe these two actions will substantially address the sources of the problems that led to the spill."
Raw sewage was discovered in the New River Drain, an irrigation drainage canal, near Front Street. City Engineer Larry White stated in a letter to NDEP's Bureau of Water Pollution Control that he was notified of the spill by the state at 4 p.m. June 19. Believing the spill to be localized, White wrote he instructed city crews to check the sewer system the following morning.
The problem was found to originate from a sewer pump station at Fifth Street and Whitaker Lane. The alarm system failed to notify the police department when the pump station was filled above the high-water level, according to White's June 22 letter to NDEP. Once pumps were manually started, the spill stopped within 10 minutes. Mayor Ken Tedford Jr. questioned why the Churchill County code enforcement officer notified the state about the spill first instead of alerting the city to the spill.
In early September, Tedford said a new backup alarm system on the pump station was already installed and the drain plugged. The city has $400,000 and has been promised another $500,000 from congressional representatives to replace the aging pump station. The estimate on building a new pump station, either on Sheckler Road or Whitaker Lane, is about $1.5 million, Tedford said in September.
In return for agreeing to build a new pump station and replacing the alarm system, the state lifted two elements from the order - one stating the city failed to maintain the pump station in good working order and one stating the city failed to respond in a timely manner. The remaining issue of violating a Nevada Revised Statute by discharging sewage into the New River Drain will stand.
"The case may revert back to the penalty panel for further action, but panel members are often reluctant to fine local governments, because the fines ultimately end up being paid by the taxpayers, which would not be our intent," stated Pistone. "Our goal is always to address the problem and prevent it from happening again. We believe this approach has worked in this case."
