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Tests run on spill of sewage near river By Bill Kettler ROGUE RIVER � City officials won�t know until later today whether a weekend sewage spill will force closure of part of the Rogue River. City administrator Mark Reagles said Monday that as much as 640,000 gallons of raw sewage was discharged during the weekend on a vacant field between Foothills Boulevard and Interstate 5, just west of Evans Creek. Reagles said city officials don�t know how much sewage may have entered the river because the liquid traveled down a ditch for 400 feet before entering the Rogue River. "If you�re going to have a spill, I guess you�re lucky to have it on a piece of vacant land," he said. Tests have been performed that will show the extent of any contamination, but Reagles said the results will not be available until 5:30 p.m. today. Until the level of contamination can be determined, he advised people to limit their contact with river water between downtown Rogue River and Savage Rapids Dam, three miles downstream. Reagles said if the tests show significant contamination, the Department of Environmental Quality will determine how much of the river will need to be closed. Reagles said the sewage backed up and overflowed in a pipeline that carries untreated sewage to Rogue River�s wastewater treatment plant. Workers called in to find the source of the blockage found roots growing in the sewer line. The overflow was discovered Monday when a wastewater treatment operator returned to work and discovered flows into the plant were substantially below normal. Workers walked the pipeline until they discovered the leak. Reagles said the blockage was removed and sewage resumed flowing about 11:30 a.m. on Monday. Reagles said that even at the river�s present low flow, any sewage that entered the stream was probably diluted enough to minimize health hazards. The Rogue River�s flow on Monday, about 1,500 cubic feet per second, equaled more than 673,000 gallons of water per minute where sewage entered the stream. "It doesn�t take (a spill) long to dilute," Reagles said. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.