PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Two weeks after a sewage main break spilled 3.1 million gallons of raw sewage onto Douglas Avenue and into Hull Creek, neighbors say the smell lingers and concerns about their properties remain.
"It's like a porta-potty but like on steroids," Monte Thomas said.
Thomas, his wife Whitney and their 6 kids have lived in the neighborhood for four years. They own land across from their home where much of the cleanup happened. Whitney Thomas said the couple has invested heavily in the property and worries about what the spill means for its value.
"I am a little bit concerned about what's going to happen to the value of this property. Like, we've put a lot of work into this and, you know, values have risen but what's gonna happen?" Whitney Thomas said.
Watch previous coverage: 40 feet of pipe must be replaced after Douglas Avenue sewage spill in Portsmouth
The Hampton Roads Sanitation District said it is working with affected residents to make them whole.
"HRSD continues working with the residents whose property was directly affected by the August 4 force main failure and is committed to returning their property to pre-spill conditions or better," HRSD said in a statement on August 17. "We are in the process of developing an action plan that centers on human and environmental safety and hope to notify residents this afternoon of next steps, a timeline and other details. We will be working closely with residents to coordinate these efforts."
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality said in its Aug. 12 update that HRSD has had no further issues with the repaired sewer line. Douglas Avenue has reopened, but site cleanup is still underway. Final paving is expected within the next one to two weeks.
Neighbors are also worried about Hull Creek. On Aug. 11, bathroom wipes, feminine products and other debris were still visible on top of the mud at low tide.
"It's not safe, it's not sanitary," neighbor Christa Ponce said. "Anybody thinks that you could come out here and, oh, the tide will take it out. The tide hasn't been able to take any of this out because it's embedded in the mud."
HRSD collected water samples from Hull Creek, including on Aug. 11, but results have not yet been shared.
The Portsmouth Health Department lifted its Hull Creek recreational water advisory on Aug. 17. The Virginia Department of Health explained the reasoning behind the decision.
"The Portsmouth Health Department lifted the recreational advisory at Hull Creek based on the most recent water quality sample data and repair updates. VDH issues swimming advisories based on Virginia's action value. When water samples exceed this value, it means people are more likely to experience illness when exposed to natural waters. Virginia uses 104 MPN/100ml of water as the threshold for Enterococci," VDH said.
VDH also noted the presence of an algal bloom in the area.
"There is an algal bloom of Margalefidinium polykrikoides, also known as a 'Marg' bloom, in the vicinity that may be contributing to what people are seeing. While the bloom can cause discolored, foul-smelling water, it does not produce toxins," VDH said.
VDH said it will continue monitoring conditions and can reissue an advisory if water quality changes.
"It's important to remember that all natural water bodies carry some inherent level of risk, even when an advisory is not in place," VDH said.
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