Sandy Wastewater Treatment Plant Leaks Concentrated Bleach Into Nearby Tickle Creek, Officials say

SANDY, OR — City officials on Thursday announced the unintentional release of roughly 100 gallons of highly concentrated household bleach into the City of Sandy's Wastewater Treatment plant and Tickle Creek that occurred Wednesday.

The Department of Environmental Quality and several other state agencies are still assessing the impacts to the environment as a result of the accidental spill, officials said in a statement.

Around 1 p.m. May 3, about 100 gallons of sodium hypochlorite was released through a buried broken pipe at the Sandy Wastewater Treatment Plant at 33400 S.E. Jarl Rd., just Northwest of Sandy near Kelso.

Typically used as a disinfectant, liquid sodium hypochlorite is a stronger concentration (12.5% chlorine) of household bleach (5% chlorine), according to Sandy officials, and is known to be corrosive and dangerous to the environment.

The leaked sodium hypochlorite reportedly mixed with groundwater and traveled through the plant's on-site storm drainage system into Tickle Creek.

Officials said the broken pipe was immediately shut off after operations staff learned of the spill, and that the storm-water outfall was plugged to prevent any additional leakage into the creek. "All groundwater flow from the storm drain system was diverted to the treatment plant by 4:3o p.m.," officials said.

This post will be updated with new information as it becomes available.

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