Keys’ sewage line holds; bacteria samples taken
By Kathryn Reed
Health, water and environmental officials were at the Tahoe Keys Marina today inspecting repairs to the sewage line that failed over the weekend, allowing waste to flow into Lake Tahoe.
Several samples of the water were taken to test for bacteria. Lahontan Regional Water Control Board expects to have those results on Tuesday.
“We took several samples in and around the fuel pump. We did go across the channel by the condo docks to get background samples,” Lauri Kemper with Lahontan told Lake Tahoe News.
Results will dictate what further action Lahontan would take. It could include the need for more testing in the localized area or expanding the testing area, as well as fines. Lahontan may issue fines up to $10,000 per day for sewage flowing into Lake Tahoe or $10/gallon.
Bryan Vyverberg, with El Dorado County Environment Health Department, said the California Office of Emergency Service’s report says up to 15 gallons of sewage spilled from Friday to Saturday night from an overflow tank behind the Fresh Ketch restaurant. It ran onto the walkway near where people eat outside behind the restaurant and then into Lake Tahoe.
Officials from his office were out there today with Lahontan and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to ensure the plumbing fixes that were made May 3 were holding.
Vyverberg said he still needs to speak with the harbormaster to figure out how the plumbing at the building works.
“We need to verify it is not going to continue,” Vyverberg told Lake Tahoe News.
Kemper said marina General Manager Robert Spinnato told Lahontan officials May 5 that flushed plastic bags caused the backup. Kemper is waiting for the plumber’s report to see what they found.
Steve Sweet, senior environmental specialist with Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, was also at the marina today. He was not available for comment.
Shut them down!! The Ketch and Marina are becoming an eyesore as well as polluting our lake. This Spinnato fool needs to go away. There is no hot spot of fun here. The Ketch is a joke of fine food or anything. I will boycott it and pass this info along to all my friends who live here or vacation here. The Ketch/Marina is one place to avoid!!
Lets just back fill the keys an re-veg the area back into a meadow/marsh. Who’s with me?
Because of Kae’s reporting on the sewage spill and a few phone calls that were made we are seeing something being done out at the site of the sewage leak into the lake!
See what happens when you have a feisty lady at the helm ,(Captain Kae) and a couple of grumpy old guys below deck manning the oars?( yours truly and some others called as well).
Keep those phone calls going to the appropriate agencies and maybe, just maybe, we will turn this big old ship around, even if we have to do it ourselves!
Dammn I feel good! I’m gonna make me some biscuits and soup to celebrate!
Working together we can make a difference!!!! F@%&* the paid off consultants, lawyers, politicians and developers. Now add a polluting marina owner that gets caught!
I’m off to the kitchen for a bright spot of an otherwise glum day.Take care, OLS
p.s. agree, just read you post and a 100% YES. Back fill the Keys and return it to its natural state and I’ll die a happy man!!! Thank You!
KRXI Fox 11 TV Reno was out there today interviewing some guy wearing a white shirt with captain’s stripes, while a Coast Guard helicopter flew overhead. Hopefully film at 11.
OLS, its either that or pretty much anyone fixes a busted pipe when they know they have one. More likely that is what is happening and it has nothing to do with your phone calls to the wrong agencies.
For everyones informaton Kathryn Reed has not done her job properly. The spillage was factual sabotage from a former Key Marina tenant who has just recently been evicted. Because of his eviction he purposefully stuffed plastic bags down the drain, forcing the pipes to malfunction. He was seen laughing at a distance by marina workers who couldn’t understand why he was laughing. When the spillage occurred instead of notifying the Fresh Ketch the young man waited around and then notified the media. If he truly cared about our beautiful lake he would have told the restaurant immediately. Plumbing was done and the pipes were fixed, and indeed it was plastic bags that had clogged the pipes. We just received the water quality results from Mondays inspection by Laurin Kemper and everything is under control. If Kathryn Reed was a real journalist/reporter, she would have come to us and asked questions in order to write a proper and accurate article. Instead, everything was blown out of proportion for no reason.
keys, Well the plop, er, excuse me the “plot” thickens on the sewage spill at Tahoe Keys Marina. If this were really a sabotage using plastic bags to plug the sewage lines by a disgrunteled former commercial tenant, who would that person be? If that persons name was revealed, said person would face a huge fine and it would not be charged against the owner of the marina. Right?
If your story on this is correct, expose the real polluter in this case so he can be brought to justice and the marina and the Ketch will be cleared of any wrong doing. There must have been a contract with the evicted tenant and witnesses to this guy laughing at all this mess he created.Right?
Hopefully the truth wins out. OLS
Interesting that a couple of plastic bags could be responsible for a pattern of inadequate maintenance of facilities that has gone on for months, if not years. Any local knows that the pattern of failing infrastructure, particularly in the Tahoe Keys Marina, is not new. But, everyone has their perspective.
How long before the reports are released from Lahontan and the TRPA? Is the landlord going to file suit against the old tenant? Has a police report been filed? Will the marina have the plumbing companies employees questioned?
I hope action against the real culprit will be swift. If the marinas story is correct the tenant appears to have crossed the line from civil to possible criminal liability.
Maybe they will let O Jay out of prison to help find the true culprit.
This whole sewage leak thing stinks to high heaven. Okay, there, I said it, another terrible pun by OLS.
But seriously, things are not adding up for this sewage sleuth/slime fighter.
Is Lahontan, TRPA and the myriad of other agencies giving us the straight scoop or are they just flushing this whole thing down the the toilet, hoping we will all forget this as we are all mesmerized by the swirling water?
The tests so far are showing “fecal matter”, (eeww!!) in the water by the Fresh Ketch. The name of the resturauant and with it’s reputation brings about several ideas for more bad jokes, but I’ll give it a rest for a bit.
I have to agree with “agree”. Fill in the Keys and let nature take it back. The Lake will be much better off and so will we.
Have a good night and hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. OLS