50,000 Gallons of Treated Effluent Spills Near Nevada Treatment Plant

50,000 gallons of treated effluent spilled near the Silver Springs General Improvement District Wastewater Treatment Plant in Silver Springs, Nev., after an air release valve broke.

GID board chairman Bob Freeman reported to the Reno Gazette-Journal that he was not sure what caused the valve to break. Freeman speculated that the break could have been caused by ice, or by someone driving over the valve.

The GID reported the spill, which they are required to do per the District’s permit.

The GID is currently investigating the cause of the incident, but are currently focusing on cleaning up the spill and fixing the valve.

According to the GID’s report, the treated effluent spilled onto the ground for two hours, and left a huge crater that was the size of a truck. Due to a storm earlier in the week that caused erosion, officials were not able to tell precisely how much damage was caused by the spill.

The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection will investigate to determine if the GID properly complied with its permit.

Source: Reno Gazette-Journal