Sanitary Officials Say Marin Sewage Spill Could Be Sabotage

KENTFIELD (KCBS/AP/BCN) - Officials believe a wastewater spill in Marin County involving nearly a million gallons of sewage may have been the result of sabotage.

Ross Valley Sanitary District says a badly clogged pipeline in Kentfield caused an estimated 740,000 gallons of sewage to overflow through manholes on Friday. On Wednesday, a nearby pipe ruptured beneath a popular jogging trail, spewing out an undetermined amount of sludge.

Sanitary district general manager Brett Richards said there could be a link between the two incidents. He says the volume and composition of the debris in the clogged pipe—including road asphalt and construction helmets— was suspicious.

KCBS' Janice Wright Reports:

Richards says the district has notified the FBI as well as other local and state authorities.

The debris is believed to be the source of the sanitary sewer overflow, and is from the site where JMB Construction had recently completed the district's Woodland-College-Goodhill improvement project, said Richards.

Richards said it's hard to believe the items got in the pipes by accident because some of the debris was 6 inches thick and 30 inches wide. The district said evidence suggests gross contractor negligence or possibly even eco-terrorism caused the spill.

While the spill was very large, many people in Kentfield told KCBS that they didn't know about it until hearing about it on the news.

KCBS' Janice Wright Reports:

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