{"id":497648,"date":"2026-03-01T14:45:35","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T14:45:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/497648\/"},"modified":"2026-03-01T14:45:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T14:45:35","slug":"8-weeks-after-massive-sewage-spill-clearlake-residents-see-no-end-in-sight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/497648\/","title":{"rendered":"8 weeks after massive sewage spill, Clearlake residents see no end in sight"},"content":{"rendered":"

CLEARLAKE \u2014 On a cool February morning, Shawn and Lindsay Heape slipped on their shoes and headed down their driveway, grabbing their green buckets on the way.<\/p>\n

Four minutes passed as they filled the two 5-gallon pails from an improvised water tank made from a pair of well-used, blue water drums connected to various garden hoses.<\/p>\n

The job is onerous, but important: Each drop of their limited water supply is precious.<\/p>\n

Buckets in hand, the weight digging into their fingers, they walked back into their three-bedroom home, past three large fish tanks and down the hallway toward the tiled bathroom. They place the buckets on the sink with the utmost care so the couple can brush their teeth, wash their hands and flush the toilet.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re just trying to get through the day,\u201d Lindsay Heape, 49, said. \u201cThat\u2019s what everything revolves around now \u2014 water.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BucketsBuckets are used to transport potable water from a water tank to the bathroom of the Heape family home, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Clearlake. Even though the January sewage spill was a few blocks away, water from their well tested positive for contaminants. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

This is daily life for about 475 of Clearlake\u2019s 16,600 residents since a sewer main broke on Sunday, Jan. 11, causing 2.9 million gallons of untreated sewage to flow into the aquifer, wells and for some, directly into homes and yards.<\/p>\n

Since the spill, as long-term cleanup response has lagged, residents have described living in what feels like a prolonged state of emergency without clear direction toward recovery.<\/p>\n

They have lived in motels, used portable and public showers and trucked water nearly 2 miles\u00a0from a temporary facility just to meet basic needs.<\/p>\n

Even now, eight weeks after the spill, Lake County officials have no way of knowing when the underground aquifer that residents rely on for drinking water will be remediated.<\/p>\n

Part of the reason is the lay of the land \u2014 the shallow aquifer makes for difficult remediation, Lake County officials say. But a dive into the history of the special districts responsible for Clearlake\u2019s wastewater treatment shows a lack of preparation and planning. For years, Lake County Special Districts has operated without a capital improvement plan, despite knowing weak spots within its system.<\/p>\n

Today, with water buckets and tanks as their new normal for water storage, the Heapes and their neighbors shoulder the burden of the special districts\u2019 failure.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is layered on top of everything else,\u201d Lindsay Heape said. \u201cYou don\u2019t ever really reset.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"LindsayLindsay and Shawn Heape fill buckets of potable water to be used to flush toilets, wash dishes and other household chores, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Clearlake. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)
\nA spill years in the making<\/p>\n

The sewer main that broke in early January is part of Lake County\u2019s Southeast Regional Wastewater System, which serves 13,312 residents. The system, which stretches from Pirates Cove to Lower Lake and includes portions of Clearlake, comprises 90 miles of gravity pipeline and 10 miles of force main pipeline.<\/p>\n

The special districts invested into the system considerably in the late \u201990s and early 2000s, including $5 million in 2013 to make improvements on the force main pipes. The project addressed two chronic capacity deficiencies that had plagued the system for more than 30 years.<\/p>\n

However, since that project, little has been done to the system\u2019s remaining aged pipes, which are more than 30 years old and channel 1.9 million gallons of effluent\u00a0on a dry day.<\/p>\n

\"DuringDuring a community meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, at Clearlake City Hall, involving residents of the January sewage spill, a graphic shows the movement of the plume, from the origin of the spill. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

Lack of maintenance has proven consequential for the special districts and the residents it serves. Records from the Central Valley Regional Water Board, part of the state agency that regulates special districts, shows the system\u2019s sewer has repeatedly overflowed, leading to dozens of violations and enforcement actions by the State Water Board.<\/p>\n

Between 2023 and 2026, regulators documented 16 violations in the system including 13\u00a0sewage spills. State records also show the system has repeatedly exceeded the allowed amount of total coliform bacteria.<\/p>\n

The system of pipelines was inspected in 2019 using a camera, Clearlake City Manager Alan Flora said during a Feb. 24\u00a0Lake County Board of Supervisors meeting.<\/p>\n

But despite seeing flaws in the system, Flora alleged few improvements were made since 2019, adding that many of the violations were related to a specific stretch of the system: In 2023, a force main failure released about 600,000 gallons of raw sewage into the area around Burns Valley Road.<\/p>\n

The same year, the State Water Board cited the special districts for failing to have a capital improvement plan \u2014 a roadmap of sorts for infrastructure maintenance \u2014 in place for the system.<\/p>\n

According to the State Water Board, every sewer agency is required to maintain a capital improvement plan to plan funding, rehabilitation and replacement of aging sewer infrastructure. These plans are identified by the board as being a core component of effective system management.<\/p>\n

In a 2023 inspection, the State Water Board stated, \u201cThe Enrollee does not have a formal capital improvement plan (CIP).\u201d<\/p>\n

The Press Democrat reached out to Lake County Special Districts numerous times for comment and additional information since the Jan. 11 incident. None of the requests have been returned.<\/p>\n

An expanding timeline<\/p>\n

The Jan. 11 spill was first reported by the Lake County Special Districts around 8 a.m. and despite efforts to stop it, raw wastewater flowed into the street on Robin Lane for more than 37 hours.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw poop running down the road and (toilet paper) and corn and all kinds of stuff,\u201d Joe Hulbert, a Robin Lane resident, said in a Jan. 13 video interview with The Press Democrat. \u201cIt smelled terrible. It went into everybody\u2019s yard.\u201d<\/p>\n

County officials first advised that 58 properties near Robin Lane were impacted and declared a local emergency on Jan. 12 to mobilize resources for response.<\/p>\n

The initial response included cleanup, using disinfectants like agricultural lime and Botanical Decon 30, as well as repair of the sewer main.<\/p>\n

The impacted area grew over the next 10 days to encompass 2% of residents in the region the system serves, amounting to 164 homes covering 550 acres.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A County of Lake employee spreads agriculture lime on Robin Lane in Clearlake to help dry out the road which was submerged in sewage, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

An Allstarz Pumping worker fro Sonoma County, vacuums up sewage water on Robin Lane in Clearlake, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in the Burns Valley area. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

\"Along<\/p>\n

Along Pamela Lane in Clearlake, warning signs are posted in the sewage spill zone, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Clearlake. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

An Allstarz Pumping worker from Sonoma County, vacuums up sewage water on Robin Lane in Clearlake, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in the Burns Valley area. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

\"During<\/p>\n

During a community meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, at Clearlake City Hall, involving residents of the January sewage spill, a graphic shows the movement of the plume, from the origin of the spill. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

\"Corey<\/p>\n

Corey Paulich the Lake County undersheriff and director of emergency operations, talks with a crowd of Clearlake residents, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, affected by the January sewage spill on Robin Lane. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

\"Prior<\/p>\n

Prior to a community meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, Suzanne Marsh, right, and Kathy Reese say hello to one another at Clearlake City Hall. Both women are affected by the January sewage spill. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A map, supplied to those attending a town hall meeting in Clearlake, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, highlights the affected area of a sewage spill in last week. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

\"After<\/p>\n

After a town hall meeting, Clearlake residents, from left, Barbara Dryden, Stephanie Hummel and Shawn Heape ask questions about the testing and health implications of last week\u2019s sewage spill, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

\"At<\/p>\n

At a town hall meeting in Clearlake, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, Bruno Sabatier, with the Lake County Board of Supervisor\u2019s district 2 region, talks with the residents affected by the implications of last week\u2019s sewage spill. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

\"Joe<\/p>\n

Joe Hulbert checks the water level in a county supplied water tank, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, as part of mitigation efforts after Hulbert\u2019s and other rural families were affected by a sewage which contaminated their drinking wells in Clearlake. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 11<\/p>\n

A County of Lake employee spreads agriculture lime on Robin Lane in Clearlake to help dry out the road which was submerged in sewage, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

In an effort to coordinate communication to confused residents, city and county officials established a joint incident command structure on Jan. 26 \u2014 more than two weeks after the spill. The team includes the county\u2019s emergency services, sheriff\u2019s and environmental health departments as well as the special districts.<\/p>\n

In the days and weeks that followed, county water officials and the county\u2019s social services department began installing temporary water tanks at the hardest-hit homes. Residents reported that installation often lagged behind need, however, with some still living without running water well into February.<\/p>\n

Shawn and Lindsay Heape can attest to that.<\/p>\n

Help for the couple living near Old Highway 53 \u2014 an area not initially designated as impacted \u2014 came more than a month after the spill. The Heapes initially got potable water from a neighbor, Steve George, 64, who lives up the road and shared what he could from a water tank he purchased.<\/p>\n

\"SteveSteve George and friend Lindsay Heape, both in the Clearlake sewage spill zone, discuss the ongoing water issues, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

George, who is undergoing cancer treatment, said the strain of the spill exacerbated an already exhausting routine. The spill caused him to miss multiple oncology appointments as he sat on his front porch waiting for county officials he said never came.<\/p>\n

\u201cSewage came right up through the ground,\u201d George said, pointing to the uneven texture of his yard where wastewater pooled, then resurfaced on its own days later. A pond on the property \u2014 once filled by rain and visited by ducks \u2014 was eventually drained by the county after nine days, long after concerns were raised about contamination.<\/p>\n

The Heapes received their temporary water tank from the county on Feb. 17, 37 days after the spill and 18 days after their home was formally included in the impacted area map.<\/p>\n

Communication breakdown<\/p>\n

Residents say communication and outreach efforts, which were centered around town hall meetings and online announcements \u2014 typically without Spanish translation \u2014 could be one of the reasons why water tank installation efforts lagged.<\/p>\n

After the Lake County Board of Supervisors approved spending $750,000 to purchase 60 2,500-gallon water tanks, impacted residents learned about the tanks during a Jan. 28 town hall meeting where they were told by officials tanks would be installed based on need.<\/p>\n

The tanks were only available through an online application, however.<\/p>\n

As of Feb. 24, 50 tanks have been installed \u2014 a number that has remained unchanged since Feb. 17.<\/p>\n

When the task force announced \u2014 also at a town hall meeting on Feb. 4 \u2014 that ultraviolet kits would be available for residents by the end of February, the announcement was made in English only, without Spanish interpretation to reach the three Spanish-speaking households affected by the spill. The kits, like the tanks, were available on a first-come, first-served basis and required an online registration.<\/p>\n

Some residents expressed concern this method put older residents \u2014 especially those who lack reliable internet access or transportation to attend public meetings \u2014 at a disadvantage. About 25% of residents in the impacted spill zone who had contacted Lake County Social Services for assistance following the spill self-identified as elderly or disabled, according to Lake County Social Services Director Rachael Dillman Parsons.<\/p>\n

Cassandra Hulbert, a Robin Lane resident affected by the spill, has emerged as an informal leader, filling in communication gaps for her neighbors by checking on older residents, running a Facebook page and speaking at public meetings. She and many of her neighbors went door-to-door during the first week of the spill to tell people not to use the water coming from their taps. Many of them, she said, had not heard about the spill at all.<\/p>\n

\"JoeJoe Hulbert checks the water level in a county supplied water tank, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, as part of mitigation efforts after Hulbert\u2019s and other rural families were affected by a sewage which contaminated their drinking wells in Clearlake. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I started \u2026 talking with these elderly people, I was like, \u2018Oh, some people really can\u2019t speak up, or they don\u2019t know how,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cI didn\u2019t want that to slip past. It was really important to me that people get the help that they needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Cassandra and Joe Hulbert,\u00a0the spill upended not just their household but their sense of security. They spent weeks moving between hotels and an Airbnb with their children, both of whom are autistic, before returning to the home they purchased in 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo much of the burden has been placed on us residents,\u201d Cassandra Hulbert said.<\/p>\n

\"CassandraCassandra Hulbert and son Jasper use their time together for exercise and bonding, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Clearlake. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)
\nThe long haul<\/p>\n

But county officials say the Robin Lane spill is particularly challenging. The unusually shallow aquifer and system of wells in the area allowed sewage from the broken force main pipeline\u00a0to reach the groundwater system more quickly than in areas with deeper wells and aquifers, said Angela Dodd, a hydrologist with Northpoint Consulting who was contracted by the county to assess the spill\u2019s impact on the area\u2019s drinking water. As a result, once contaminants entered the aquifer and wells, cleanup became significantly more complex.<\/p>\n

County officials have advised residents not to use their wells until testing produces two clean tests from separate dates.\u00a0As the spill pushes on into its second month, residents\u2019 wells are still testing positive.<\/p>\n

Cleanup has also been hampered by financial constraints, as the cost of the spill has been draining for residents and county coffers alike.<\/p>\n

\"MikeMike Holland documents the amount of mud and sewage which rushed in to a neighbors yard in the Burns Valley neighborhood of Clearlake on Robin Lane, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

Within the first 10 days, the special districts spent $1.1 million responding to the rupture, which covered cleanup, utility repairs, well sampling and water supplies for residents and animals in the spill zone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are out of money,\u201d Special Districts Administrator Robin Borre\u00a0told the Board of Supervisors at a Jan. 21 meeting. \u201cThis could be a two-week thing. It could be a two-month thing. We don\u2019t know how long it\u2019s going to go on.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the same meeting, the board allocated $750,000 in disaster assistance funding to the response and an additional $1 million on Feb. 10.<\/p>\n

\"AA map, supplied to those attending a town hall meeting in Clearlake, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, highlights the affected area of a sewage spill in last week. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

County leaders have been in contact with the Governor\u2019s Office of Emergency Services and its legislative delegation to seek reimbursement for the strained special districts. If state reimbursement does not come through, the county \u201cwill review other options,\u201d Chief Deputy County Administrative Officer\u00a0Matthew Rothstein told The Press Democrat.<\/p>\n

Those options could include requiring the special districts, which is funded primarily through customers\u2019 rates, to repay the county, according to the Feb. 10 county supervisors\u2019 agenda.<\/p>\n

Fading hope<\/p>\n

For residents already hauling water and paying for repairs to their homes without a clear reimbursement promise from the county, the potential for higher wastewater rates adds a layer of familiar strain.<\/p>\n

Lake County has endured repeated catastrophes in the past decade. Since 2015, more than 70% of the county has burned in wildfires.<\/p>\n

The 2015 Valley Fire destroyed nearly 2,000 structures and claimed four lives, prompting a federal declaration that unlocked millions of dollars from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Three years later, the Ranch Fire \u2014 part of the Mendocino Complex Fire \u2014 burned more than 410,000 acres across Lake and Mendocino counties, triggering federal aid yet again.<\/p>\n

In both those disasters, federal emergency aid helped shoulder much of the financial burden for cleanup and rebuilding.<\/p>\n

This spill is different.<\/p>\n

Because it stemmed from a sewer infrastructure failure, rather than a natural disaster, the spill does not automatically qualify for the same type of federal aid.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been through countless fires in Lake County,\u201d Cassandra Hilbert said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had friends that have lost homes and we\u2019ve been through some terrible things, but we\u2019ve never even thought about dealing with something like this on this grand of a scale. It\u2019s just unreal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"JoeJoe Hulbert displays a photograph of sewage water, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, cascading down Robin Lane, late Sunday in Clearlake, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

And yet \u2014 for Clearlake residents, this is home.<\/p>\n

Standing in his yard as trucks rumbled past, George gestured toward Clear Lake and the hills beyond, where the pink and orange glow from sunsets reflects on the water. He talked about fireworks over the lake and the quiet beauty that drew him there.<\/p>\n

For now, life continues measured in gallons, minutes and trips up the road \u2014 an emergency that hasn\u2019t ended, only settled into a grueling routine.<\/p>\n

You can reach Staff Writer Anna Armstrong at anna.armstrong@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @annavarmstrongg.<\/p>\n

You can reach Staff Writer Isabel Beer at isabel.beer@pressdemocrat.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CLEARLAKE \u2014 On a cool February morning, Shawn and Lindsay Heape slipped on their shoes and headed down…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":497649,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[227340,192,14059,61471,227341,227343,227344,79,188425,227342],"class_list":{"0":"post-497648","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-clearlake","9":"tag-environment","10":"tag-lake-county","11":"tag-lake-county-sheriffs-office","12":"tag-lake-county-special-districts","13":"tag-mendocino-complex-fire","14":"tag-robin-lane-spill","15":"tag-science","16":"tag-sewage-spill","17":"tag-valley-fire"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/497648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=497648"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/497648\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/497649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=497648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=497648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=497648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}