Pipeline Rupture Spills Wastewater into Carson River

RENO (AP) – An unknown amount of wastewater effluent has spilled into the Carson River in the Lake Tahoe area.

The Reno Gazette-Journal reports that according to the Douglas County Sewer Improvement District, officials noticed the rupture in Minden on Tuesday and repaired the break on Wednesday.

Sewer District General Manager Rob Hopkins says the effluent that spilled into the river had been treated to reduce fecal coliform to next-to-zero levels.

Hopkins says he suspects earthquakes that rattled the region last week may have caused the failure.

Hopkis says the district will report to the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection an estimate of how much effluent spilled into the river in the coming days.