Carnelian Bay West and Patton Landing beaches remain closed, health advisory still in effect
This is an update for Saturday, July 20, 2024, for the Carnelian Bay Sewer Spill incident that occurred on Thursday evening, July 18, 2024, as a result of a private contractor striking the North Tahoe Public Utility District’s (NTPUD) main sewer export pipeline.
Due to elevated levels of bacteria the Carnelian Bay West beach and Patton Landing beach will remain closed to the public until further notice.
A health advisory also remains in effect for Lake Tahoe shoreline from 5500 North Lake Boulevard (Sahara Drive and Highway 28) to 4600 North Lake Boulevard. (see attached map for reference).
Residents and visitors are advised that contact with the lake water in the advisory area could cause illness due to elevated bacteria levels.
The NTPUD’s public drinking water system is not at risk and tap water is safe to drink.
Private lakefront properties in the advisory area with their own lake intakes should be aware of these elevated bacteria levels and can contact Placer County Environmental Health with concerns about their drinking water.
Placer County and the NTPUD will continue to provide updates on the ongoing health advisory and closure areas as ongoing water quality test results are evaluated.
Incident Details:
At approximately 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 18th, a private contractor working on Highway 28 in Carnelian Bay struck the North Tahoe Public Utility District’s (NTPUD) main sewer export pipeline.
Sewage from the pipeline overflowed into the nearby parking lot and did reach Lake Tahoe.
The NTPUD estimates that approximately 125,000 gallons of untreated sewage discharged from the District’s export pipeline at the break site. Emergency response crews were able to collect approximately 40,000 gallons of the spill at the site and return it to the export system immediately. The remaining 85,000 gallons flowed through the nearby parking lot and into Lake Tahoe.
With support from neighboring utilities, NTPUD utility crews completed disinfection and remediation of the entire impacted area above and adjacent to Lake Tahoe on Friday, July 19 at 4:00 p.m. Additional work to repair damage to landscaped areas near the shoreline is ongoing.
The NTPUD’s main sewer export pipeline was repaired and the District’s wastewater system is operating as normal. District engineers and utility operation managers will continue to monitor the incident site and pipeline repair.
For public questions about the advisory and related health risks, contact Placer County:
For questions about the beach cleanup efforts, sewer impacts or beach closures, contact Justin Broglio at the North Tahoe Public Utility District:
