Community Corner
Are Sewers Backing Up In Los Gatos?
Two sanitary sewer clean-outs experience back-up on North Santa Cruz Avenue.
Los Gatos Patch contributor Gary Hinze is reporting that while riding his bike down North Santa Cruz Avenue, between Highway 9 and Andrews Street, on Thursday, Dec. 5 he spotted two sanitary sewer clean-outs leaking sewage onto the sidewalk and street.
There was quite a bit of sewage in the gutter, according to Hinze, and people, dogs, cars and bikes were all over it.
Hinze said about a month ago he had reported one of the same overflowing gutters to the businesses nearby, but since he noticed it happening again so soon and three within one block, he contacted Los Gatos Parks and Public Works and West Valley Sanitation staff to alert them of the problem.
The next day of him reporting the problem, Edward H. Oyama, director of engineering and operations for West Valley Sanitation emailed him back to tell him he had asked the agency’s maintenance crews to investigate and take whatever actions were necessary to clean up and repair the problem.
Hinze said the sewer spill was cleaned up right away, but has concerns that it be done properly as it requires disinfection. He said one of the spills left rust stains on the concrete.
Oyama encouraged Hinze and town residents with sewer and sanitation concerns to call the agency’s office at 408-378-2407 24 hours a day, seven days a week to report any similar problem.
Upon receiving the information, Oyama said, agency workers can be on site within 30 minutes during normal workdays and 60 minutes at all other times.
Hinze is now wondering how widespread the problem is and hopes alerting the community will help them know what to do when they experience similar issues.
Hinze also noted the sewage spills flow in the downtown gutters, to Los Gatos Creek, to the perk ponds, where they could enter the drinking water aquifer.
There was quite a bit of sewage in the gutter, according to Hinze, and people, dogs, cars and bikes were all over it.
Hinze said about a month ago he had reported one of the same overflowing gutters to the businesses nearby, but since he noticed it happening again so soon and three within one block, he contacted Los Gatos Parks and Public Works and West Valley Sanitation staff to alert them of the problem.
The next day of him reporting the problem, Edward H. Oyama, director of engineering and operations for West Valley Sanitation emailed him back to tell him he had asked the agency’s maintenance crews to investigate and take whatever actions were necessary to clean up and repair the problem.
Hinze said the sewer spill was cleaned up right away, but has concerns that it be done properly as it requires disinfection. He said one of the spills left rust stains on the concrete.
Oyama encouraged Hinze and town residents with sewer and sanitation concerns to call the agency’s office at 408-378-2407 24 hours a day, seven days a week to report any similar problem.
Upon receiving the information, Oyama said, agency workers can be on site within 30 minutes during normal workdays and 60 minutes at all other times.
Hinze is now wondering how widespread the problem is and hopes alerting the community will help them know what to do when they experience similar issues.
Hinze also noted the sewage spills flow in the downtown gutters, to Los Gatos Creek, to the perk ponds, where they could enter the drinking water aquifer.
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