4.2M-gallon sewage spill prompts Colorado reservoir warning

PUEBLO, CO – A multi-million-gallon sewage spill that entered the Arkansas River last week is moving downstream and is expected to impact a southeastern Colorado reservoir beginning Aug. 31, prompting state officials to issue a water contact advisory for the recreation area.

About 4.2 million gallons of untreated sewage entered the Arkansas River near Pueblo, Colorado, between Aug. 26 and Aug. 27 after a defective wastewater pipe failed, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) said the contamination is expected to reach John Martin Reservoir State Park in Bent County starting on Aug. 31.

The advisory follows testing conducted on Aug. 28 by the Pueblo County Public Health Laboratory that found high levels of E. coli downstream of the spill site. The CDPHE has advised people to avoid contact with the Arkansas River below Pueblo, a city over 100 miles south of Denver, until further notice.

John Martin Reservoir State Park will remain open, but activities involving direct contact with water are discouraged, according to CPW. Visitors are being told to avoid swimming, wading, tubing, paddleboarding, fishing and similar activities, and to keep pets out of affected waters.

CPW said it…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/