Local
Sedona traces Oak Creek sewage spill to restaurant grease blockage
A grease clog sent an estimated 1,000 to 5,000 gallons of untreated wastewater from a Sedona plaza into Oak Creek on Sunday evening. The spill was contained within two hours, but city water-quality testing is still underway, and state officials advised people to stay out of the water until results are available.
An estimated 1,000 to 5,000 gallons of untreated wastewater entered Oak Creek in Sedona Sunday evening after a grease blockage at a restaurant caused sewage to overflow into a storm drain, city officials said.
The city learned of the spill around 5:30 p.m. at the Hozho Distinctive Shops plaza on State Route 179. Crews contained it within two hours and disinfected the affected area, officials said.
Roxanne Holland, director of Sedona’s Public Works Department, said any raw sewage entering a public waterway presents a potential health risk. The city is testing the water and plans to release the results. Because cleanup was completed after dark, staff notified nearby properties along the creek the following morning, Holland said.
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Deputy Director Josephine Maressa cautioned that officials do not yet know what contaminants may be in the water and urged people to avoid swimming until testing is complete.
Sedona officials said the spill occurred on the south side of the city and did not affect popular upstream swimming areas such as Slide Rock. Holland said the volume was relatively small compared with the creek’s flow, so officials consider the risk minimal, while emphasizing that the city issues public notices when sewage enters a waterway.