The wastewater overflow that began on December 27th at the Big Creek Wastewater Pump Station located on Big Creek east of the Agate Beach Wayside has been stopped.  The new Big Creek Pump Station was placed into service this afternoon.  The station does not yet run automatically, so City crews will be manning the station around the clock until automatic controls are fully functional. A secondary bypass pump will also be installed this week to provide redundancy, so the City can “kick the tires” on the new station without risk of future overflows.

Thank you to the City of Newport Public Works crews for their endless hours and dedication trying to keep the old station in operation; the construction crews from JW Fowler who are constructing the new station and pulled out all the stops to bring the new station online as soon as possible; the Best Western Resort and Hotel for their patient endurance of the noise and hassle; and especially to the residents of the City of Newport for their support for Public Works while we battled to overcome what seemed to be endless and overwhelming problems.

It will be a couple of months before all the finish work is completed on the station and the roadway and sidewalk work is complete.  When the work is done, a new safer pedestrian crossing will be installed to the beach with full pavement markings and signage.  New curb is being installed to address water that is currently washing out the approach to the beach.

City crews will continue to monitor water quality in Big Creek.  Signs warning of the sewage overflows are posted at the affected areas and sampling is being conducted to determine when the water is safe for contact.  Contact with water contaminated with bacteria can increase the risk of disease.  Please avoid contact with these waterbodies until further notice.

Information provided by Newport Public Works