Sewage Spills From Napa Winery Treatment Pond Into Creek

NAPA, CA -- Authorities are continuing to monitor a Napa winery’s wastewater treatment system following a sewage spill last week into Redwood Creek. The spill, which contained sewage and winery process wastewater, was from a containment pond at Hess Winery Collection, 4411 Redwood Road. Operators of the winery reported the spill Aug. 1 to the California Office of Emergency Services, stating the spill was likely caused by a crack in the floor of the pond.

On Aug. 4, the Napa County Department of Planning, Building and Environmental Services sent an advisory letter to 70 property owners in the Redwood Creek area, stating that 1.9 million gallons of wastewater had spilled into the creek. Residents were advised not to consume, use or contact the water, and to keep their pets from doing so.

Keith Lichten, chief of the Watershed Management Division of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, explained that because of the rural location of the winery and many other wineries, it is typical for them to operate septic systems. In the case of Hess winery, he said there are two holding ponds where wastewater is aerated before being used to irrigate scrub oak on the property, with the damaged pond being the second and cleanest of the two.

“The treatment is not unusual but what is unusual is that a pond would fail,” Lichten said.

The system is permitted through the regional water board and is inspected regularly, according to Lichten.

“It's a standard system that’s been operating for decades without any problems,” he said.

Matt Wood, vice president of operations for The Hess Collection Winery, sent Patch the following statement:

“The Hess Collection has a long-standing reputation of upholding environmental safety and sustainable practices throughout the Napa Valley - the health and safety of our employees, neighbours [sic] and customers is at the forefront of everything we do.

“On the morning of July 31st, we discovered a structural breakdown at a wastewater pond located at the Redwood Road property that we share with De La Salle Institute. Since we employ rigorous inspection standards, we were deeply concerned and took immediate action including notifying Napa County and the Regional Water Control Board.

“The break, which we believe was a result of natural causes, was contained immediately and we are working with third party engineers to repair the pond. We estimate that the volume of wastewater released was approximately 850,000 gallons. We have implemented a clear course of action working with the Regional Water Control Board and the remaining steps will be completed within the next few weeks. The Hess Collection is committed to the preservation and enhancement of the environment and our community and we will remain transparent in our findings and actions along the way.”

With a lack of recent rains, the wastewater spilled into an otherwise dry Redwood Creek, according to county officials. A four-mile stretch of the waterway was affected, prompting the county to identify and notify the owners of 70 adjacent land parcels.

David Morrison, director of the county’s Department of Planning, Building and Environmental Services, told Patch in a phone interview this week that since the winery’s sewage system is permitted by the regional water board and not the county, his involvement has been from a public health and environmental standpoint.

County officials are aware of one landowner who has water rights to the creek, he said.

“We are making sure landowners are aware of what’s going on and making sure they have the contact information they need,” Morrison said. “We are encouraging them to contact Hess with regard to monitoring or any testing that needs to be done.”

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife was also notified of the spill. Steve Gonzalez, a spokesman for the state agency, confirmed that a warden responded to the area but did not provide comment on the extent of the potential environmental threat.

According to Lichten with the regional water board, operators of the winery’s septic system “were doing a good job on aeration.” With regard to an environmental health threat, he said he believes the pH level of the water was “neutral and a had a very low oxygen level.”

“That wasn’t really a concern,” Lichten said. “There may have been some bacteria in there. It was potentially a threat to human health for a short period of time.”

With the county and Hess winery initially citing conflicting numbers when it came to how many gallons of wastewater were spilled, Lichten said he believes it was closer to 1 million. The pond holds 1.9 million gallons and it was about half-full when the spill occurred, he said.

The regional water board is continuing to monitor repairs to the pond, with particular focus on ensuring the pond is properly functioning prior to the start of the rainy season.

“The ponds tend to fill up during the rainy season with waste and rainfall so we ask them during the dry season to pump them down,” Lichten said. “They [Hess] were on target to dry out the whole thing to be where we wanted them to be by October.”

As for whether the winery will be cited for the spillage, Lichten said discharges into creeks, dry or otherwise, are not permitted.

“As part of our investigation, formal enforcement is something we will consider,” Lichten said. “We obviously don't want to see these kinds of discharges.”

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