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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors is set to hold a special Wednesday morning meeting to discuss an emergency funding request for the ongoing response to the contained sewage spill that continues to affect hundreds of residents on the northern side of the city of Clearlake.
The board will meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8, online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and on the county’s Facebook page. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.
The meeting ID is 865 3354 4962, pass code 726865. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,86533544962#,,,,*726865#. The meeting can also be accessed via phone at 669 900 6833.
District 2 Supervisor Bruno Sabatier, whose district includes Clearlake, is asking the board to approve a resolution to cancel $500,000 in reserve designations in the county’s Disaster Response and Recovery Fund and transfer it to the fund for the Lake County Sanitation District’s Southeast Regional System.
The Lake County Sanitation District, or Lacosan, is overseen by Lake County Special Districts.
Lacosan operates a 16-inch force main near Robin Lane and Pond Road in Clearlake that ruptured on the morning of Sunday, Jan. 11.
During the 37.5 hours it took to get the force main repaired, an estimated 2.9 million gallons of raw sewage spilled across hundreds of acres east of Smith Lane, west of Old Highway 53, south of Pond Road and north of Bowers Avenue.
An updated map issued on Tuesday adjusted down the size of the impact area by just over 30 acres to an estimated 297 acres, based on a Lake County News site calculation.
“Once the affected area was repaired and cleaned up, water tests from over 94 different well sources were collected to understand the status of the water in the wells of affected properties, as well as to gain greater understanding of the water table. As data was gathered, the footprint of the emergency was expanded in consideration of gathered test results, to promote public health and safety,” Sabatier’s report to the board explained.
“Timing for water quality to return to normal levels is uncertain at this time, and background (historical) data available are limited,” Sabatier’s report continued. “The Incident Command team has decided purchasing water tanks and connecting them to those homes that have been affected is our best mid-term solution to get people back into their homes with a semblance of normalcy.”
He added, “Currently, Special Districts and others are helping to refill animal troughs and water tanks, as needed. Staff expect to continue to fill tanks, including any newly purchased tanks, until the well water quality reaches acceptable readings.”
Sabatier said he’s asking for the transfer of $500,000 in Disaster Response and Recovery reserve funds to Lacosan, which is “expected to facilitate purchase of tanks and connecting them to individual property water systems where there are active residences.”
The special meeting is one of two about the sewage spill on Wednesday. A town-hall meeting to update the community on the response to the incident will be held at 6 p.m. at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
In a Tuesday update, the county said, “Officials are aware that misinformation is circulating and will address questions and share verified information at the upcoming Town Hall meeting.”
Force main work, water testing ongoing
The county on Tuesday said Special Districts crews are installing an additional valve on a 10-inch force main along Robin Lane and have conducted camera inspections of the line to better understand current conditions.
“Because force mains function differently than gravity lines, this work provided an opportunity to inspect a section of pipe that would not typically be accessible under normal operating conditions,” the county reported.
Officials said several properties also are being evaluated “as part of broader cleanup efforts to determine whether soil removal is appropriate. These assessments are part of a careful, methodical approach to protecting public health and the environment.”
Last Wednesday, Public Health Officer Dr. Robert Bernstein issued guidance urging residents in the area who rely on private wells for drinking water to temporarily relocate until his agency has deemed their wells safe. That guidance remained unchanged on Tuesday, the county said.
The county said Environmental Health teams “continue to make steady progress in ongoing cleanup and recovery efforts,” with water testing resuming on Tuesday.
The county’s report said four field teams are actively working throughout the affected areas: Two teams are moving site-to-site alongside drilling crews to efficiently collect samples while additional teams focus on follow-up testing and verification.
Over the weekend, several private wells were sanitized as a proactive step to protect public health, the county reported.
Testing efforts are being concentrated in the Robin Lane and Pamela Drive areas, with additional sampling taking place north of Bowers and east of Smith Lane.
“These targeted testing activities are helping Environmental Health develop a clearer understanding of conditions across the community,” according to the county’s report.
The Tuesday report also said that, “As test results are received and reviewed, Environmental Health is working to determine whether certain areas may safely be cleared from the incident response.”
Available resources
County officials direct spill area residents to the following resources.
ADA showers: Available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Friday at the Clearlake Senior Center, 3245 Bowers Ave.
Avoiding scams after a disaster: Visit this link, https://bit.ly/4jP8A1Z.
Drinking water: Highlands Water Co. offers a free public water filling station from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at 14580 Lakeshore Drive. Please bring your own jugs or bottles.
Drinking water guidance and information on testing of private wells: Contact Environmental Health at 707-263-1164.
Relocation: Affected residents are directed to first contact their homeowner’s insurance provider to inquire about coverage for temporary lodging under their policy. Residents may also contact Lake County Special Districts at 707-263-0119 for additional assistance and guidance.
Showers, laundry services and potable water: A mobile laundry and hygiene service trailer is available to the public at the entrance to the wastewater treatment plant located at 2485 Pond Road. It includes two laundry sets, with the ability to bring in a larger trailer if additional capacity is needed. Residents can drop off their laundry with on-site staff, who will tag each load with a number, then wash, dry, and fold items before returning them in a clean bag. The unit also includes a double-shower setup (family) and three sinks large enough to wash dishes. A separate family shower area is available and includes one sink, two showers, and a bench, providing space for families and individuals to clean up comfortably and safely. For potable water, members of the public are asked to bring their own water containers. Special Districts staff are on site to assist the public, and a 24-hour call-answering service is available to respond to inquiries related to Special Districts services.
Support to mitigate water and sewer-related needs: Call Special Districts at 707-263-0119.
Temporary housing: Call Social Services at 707-995-4200, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to request temporary housing. Assistance is available for any household that needs it. Help is no longer limited to elderly/disabled or low-income families. Households that are ineligible for Social Services temporary housing programs will be referred to Church World Service. Church World Service eligibility requirements are: Residents must be impacted by recent sewage flooding; applicants must be vetted through an agency representative (the agency knows the client lives at the address impacted); a confirmed damage assessment is required; clients must have or create an Airbnb account and be able to use the Airbnb app on their phone; clients must have an email address, and the address must be the same address they used to create the Airbnb account.
Water delivery for elderly/disabled: Call Social Services at 707-995-4200, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to request delivery for households physically unable to refill their own water containers.
Well sanitization services: To schedule well sanitization services or for more information, please contact Environmental Health at 707-263-1164. Environmental Health staff are available to review your location, confirm whether your property falls within the mapped area and provide guidance on appropriate next steps.
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