Oregon Public Broadcasting

Public health officials are concerned about a spill from a small town sewage plant into the Yakima River.

The spill happened in Mabton, Washington and lasted more than two days.

Public health districts say they weren't informed right away. Anna King reports.

The spill released about 350,000 gallons of sewage into the Yakima River.

It was caused by a power outage and computer glitch.

The Washington Ecology Department and local health officials agree it's good that it's too cold to swim and the swift spring flows carried the sewage downriver so quickly.

The Yakima River is popular with fishers, swimmers and inner tube floaters.

Gordon Kelly is a director with the Yakima Health District. After the spill, he says his agency didn't have the chance to inform the public.

He says bacteria and parasites like round worms can live in sewage.

Gordon Kelly: “Anyone that comes in contact with that can ingest those organisms and it could lead to a disease outbreak.”

Joye Redfield-Wilder is a spokeswoman for Ecology. She says failing to notify the health departments along the Yakima and Columbia rivers was an oversight.