LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport issued an alert to residents on Wednesday afternoon asking for water conservation “in any way possible” to help lighten the load on the city's sewer collection system during the current flood event.
City officials said Clear Lake's elevated level – which is continuing to rise, and was at 10.56 feet Rumsey mid-afternoon Wednesday – is having a major impact on the sewer collection system.
The high water levels are “drastically” increasing intrusion in the system, as stormwater finds its way into pipes via cleanouts, manholes and cracked or broken pipes, the city reported.
This inundation of lake water, in addition to normal winter flows, is making it difficult for the city's sewer lift station pumps to keep up, officials said.
At Tuesday night's Lakeport City Council meeting, Public Works Director Doug Grider explained that the city has been proactive in looking for places of extra water intrusion in the system, including checking all of the city's RV and trailer parks repeatedly.
He said the city had to isolate the lakeside Willopoint Resort – which has sewer system issues including a collapsed sewer lateral – due to a lot of stormwater inflow entering the city's sewer system there.
That stormwater rushing into the city's sewer system was overwhelming the pump station at C Street. In order to avoid an overflow, Grider said the city had to have pump trucks going around the clock to take water out of the system.
Grider said his staff capped off the park's sewer main at both ends to try to prevent more water backing up into the city's sewer system.
Willopoint was one of three trailer parks, plus one city neighborhood, that were ordered to evacuate on Monday, and which on Wednesday remained under that mandatory evacuation order.
Because of the situation with the sewer system, the city of Lakeport issued its Wednesday conservation notice, asking customers to cut back on water use in any way possible in order to alleviate the extra volume on the system.
The city asked that people practice “thorough water conservation as if we were in a severe drought,” which will result in less water entering the collection system.
Residents are asked to conserve by reducing showers, laundry, dishwashing, flushing toilets and other activities that put water into the system.
The city is continuing to provide updates on the flood conditions through city of Lakeport and Lakeport Police Department Facebook, Twitter and Nixle accounts.
For additional information contact the city of Lakeport Emergency Operations Center at 707-263-5614.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
City of Lakeport asks for water conservation due to flooding impacts on sewer system
- Elizabeth Larson
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