The City of Prince George is advising residents to avoid a section of the Nechako River underneath the John Hart Bridge due to a sanitary sewer leak. Boaters and recreational users of the river should steer clear of the area, which is roughly 250 square metres in size and clearly marked by buoys in the water, until further notice.
City staff are working closely with B.C.’s Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, and Environment Canada to mitigate health risks and environmental impacts. All regulatory requirements for this type of incident are being met.
Staff continue to monitor the situation by conducting weekly inspections of the leak and submitting reports to the province every 30 days. Staff are also monitoring the river water downstream from the spill site and will notify the public if the situation changes. The City has been advised that the leak poses no health risk at this time.
The City’s utilities division is working on a secondary line that will allow crews to fix the leak. The work will be completed by the end of November. The leak is due to the City’s aging infrastructure, as the sanitary sewer line was installed in 1977.