Cause of Raw Sewage Spill Corrected

City workers fixed an apartment complex’s drainage pump Thursday after it malfunctioned Wednesday night, spewing more than 4,000 gallons of raw sewage into the street and sewer system, a city spokesman said.

Anaheim Fire Department officials estimated that between 4,000 and 5,000 gallons of raw sewage escaped when the pump broke at 9:30 p.m. at the Cypress Villa Apartments at 201 N. East St..

Since Monday, the city’s sanitation department had tried to fix the clogged drainage system, according to the Anaheim Fire Department.

Apparently, the level of raw sewage at the 63-unit apartment complex rose to a level that triggered the flood control pump, which is supposed to activate only when rainwater rises, said Anaheim’s spokesman, Bret Colson.

“The pump kicked in and began pumping (the sewage) into surrounding storm drains,” he said.

Emergency crews from state and county agencies rushed to the site Wednesday night when it was estimated that 50,000 gallons of sewage had escaped. The first officials to arrive estimated that the spill would be massive.

But by Thursday morning, city workers washed down the streets, and sand was brought in to build a dike around the sewage.

“Everything has been repaired,” Colson said. “It should not happen again.”

Jim Huston, assistant director of the county’s environmental health unit, said the city was “successful in removing (the sewage) in a safe and sanitized manner.”

The health department was scheduled to return to the area Thursday to ensure that it was safe.