An estimated 11,000 gallons of sewage spilled onto the beach and into the Sitka Channel when the aging Brady Lift Station developed a leak in April.
When the Sitka Assembly met on Tuesday (6-8-20) it unanimously approved emergency funding to repair the leak. The repairs are estimated to cost up to $80,000 and will take place in September.
The Brady Lift Station is located at the water’s edge in the True Value parking lot. According to a memo from Public Works Director Michael Harmon, the aging infrastructure has been in service since the 1980s, and it’s failing.
The contractor that operates the lift station contacted Public Works on April 22 to notify city staff of the leak. The city notified the Environmental Protection Agency and state officials about the spill, which continued for several days until the sewage was rerouted on April 26. The city had to get a special permit from the state Department of Fish and Game for running the bypass pipe across an anadromous stream.
