The intense windstorm that swept through the region on Feb. 19 caused damage throughout the region and added to the problems for City of Holbrook personnel after a pipe burst at the wastewater treatment plant sending more than a million gallons of raw sewage into a catch pond created by the levee that surrounds the plant.
City Manager Randy Sullivan said he didn’t know how the break happened, but he said it was extremely poor design of the plant that caused more spillage than necessary, as there was no shut-off valve. “From the main head works building to the oxidation ditch, a pipe burst causing a million gallons to flood and we had no way to cut it off,” he said. “Plus we were dealing with the 500,000 gallons of sewage that the city creates on a daily basis.”
By nightfall on Feb. 21, the crew was able to get the pipe repaired. In the end, 2.3 million gallons of raw sewage was spilled from the time of the break until the repairs. Sullivan said, “I have a great group of guys that are willing to not only work in a hole, but one that is filled with raw sewage.”
The required reports of the spill were sent to Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Arizona Department of Water Resources. “I am waiting to hear what their recommendations are,” said Sullivan, who also noted that while the spill flooded some areas of the plant, the crew was able to direct 99 percent of it into a holding pond area which is surrounded by the levee where it is currently contained, creating no hazard for the city.
The total cost of the break is still being calculated but Sullivan is researching the best way to install a shutoff valve.
